Tuned In
by Silverwing013
Summary: "Each station has a different frequency, a different energy. As a result, your radio can only be turned to one broadcast at a time. Likewise, in our universe we are tuned into the frequency that corresponds to physical reality."
1. Consequence

**Tuned In**

_"There are hundreds of different radio waves being broadcast all around you from distant stations. At any given instant, your office or car or living room is full of these radio waves. However if you turn on a radio, you can listen to only one frequency at a time; these other frequencies are not in phase with each other. Each station has a different frequency, a different energy. As a result, your radio can only be turned to one broadcast at a time. Likewise, in our universe we are tuned into the frequency that corresponds to physical reality. But there are an infinite number of parallel realities coexisting with us in the same room, although we cannot tune into them."  
>Professor Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize in Physics (1979)<em>

_"However, what if we could tune into a parallel reality? What if?"  
>Silverwing013, author on fanfiction (2011)<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Written Friday, May 12, 1989 of this world<strong>

When I am reading, I forget the turn of pages and the letters before my eyes. The world around me disappears and I enter a different world. I see the characters as people, hear their voices and inflictions of their voice, smell colognes and perfumes, and feel the world pass by me. Their scenery is my own and I am resting my feet as I people watch, creating ideas of who the people are passing by. I follow behind them and feel the third wheel as in my own school life. No one seems surprised I am there; they don't question it and let me tag along in their group. It is a whole new world and I am content to go there as much as I can, sinking inside to explore.

So it does not surprise me that when I reach the end of my visit, realizing there is a page in front of me with a jolt, that I find consequences.

Some of these consequences are small, such as the sun no longer shining through my window and I find my eyes pained from squinting without realizing. Others have been greater, such as completely missing my bus stop when I still rode the bus to school and back. I had been hunched over reading and no one saw me, but a few yelled my name out knowing they saw me get on the bus. Figuring I wasn't on with all the screaming, they figured I got off earlier for some reason and drove on. Sure was a surprise to the bus driver and me when I ended my visit. He had nearly reached his house since his hour and a half long bus route was finished.

Some of these consequences of my form of reading are life changing. Digging so far into a story like that, forgetting my own world around me for the likes of another for a few hours, those consequences I could accept.

Apparently, one of the worlds I escaped to for a few hours… Well, someone inside the story sent out a signal from their reality. I think of it like a radio station. Each station has a different frequency, a different energy. In their search for a different reality, someone inside the story tried a different frequency for each day and hoped for someone to push the right button to connect to their station, their reality.

Speak of the world around me disappearing when I read, forgetting I am even turning pages because I see and hear another that I am reading of…

I lost more than a few hours of daylight from entering inside THIS story. There is no book in front of me, there cannot be if the story of the reality I was reading now has myself as a character. Frankly, I have never met the author, so how could that be possible? I suppose if one can imagine a reality, it exists. But I don't think the author imagined this sort of radio station being made and used inside his story's reality. Well, perhaps he did but it never got placed in the story he wrote down… He did already have three worlds in the reality he imagined. There must have been a way for the people to travel from one world to the other…

That's what he said anyway, the scientist. That he took the idea behind world travel here and twisted it to find other worlds, other realities. What he wanted was to walk the path himself and explore the new world, but he said he couldn't enter the path that brought me here. I would not know about that, I was too engrossed in my book. He, that scientist, keeps asking ME questions to figure out the why of that, but the most we could come up with today…?

I simply pushed the button and tuned in to his world.

It is the one thing we are certain of. Certainly explains why I can look at my book, put it down and look around…I find nothing different between the page and place around me.

Why else would I hang around an abandoned mannequin warehouse?

I dislike consequences I never asked for. Nor anyone would ever expect. However, I can live with it. Perhaps. It was always so inviting for me to search out for other worlds to escape to. This one I just escaped to longer than expected.


	2. Where in the World is Iowa?

**Tuned In**

_"There are hundreds of different radio waves being broadcast all around you from distant stations. At any given instant, your office or car or living room is full of these radio waves. However if you turn on a radio, you can listen to only one frequency at a time; these other frequencies are not in phase with each other. Each station has a different frequency, a different energy. As a result, your radio can only be turned to one broadcast at a time. Likewise, in our universe we are tuned into the frequency that corresponds to physical reality. But there are an infinite number of parallel realities coexisting with us in the same room, although we cannot tune into them."_  
><em>Professor Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize in Physics (1979)<em>

_"However, what if we could tune into a parallel reality? What if?"_  
><em>Silverwing013, author on fanfiction (2011)<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Written Saturday, May 13, 1989 of this world<strong>

Much disbelief!

People of this world live in Japan. And Japan is pretty much the whole world, the human world anyway. Pretty much Asia rules everything.

And perhaps this is because I was reading the English version, but the people here speak English.

Shouldn't they be speaking Japanese!

And why is Asia the whole world!

Because hell, this world has no Africa! It has no Europe! It has a small little chunk of Russia somewhere apparently, but nothing past that. And Russia is pretty much unlivable here. Oh, and you know what this means little piece of paper I write on? This means that with this world, there was no 'New World'. There was no Europe to go searching the oceans of the west. Don't get me wrong, they have explored here, but there is no 'New World' here. There was no Europe to go colonize the land of the Native Americans. There is no South America. There is no North America.

Which means no United States of America was able to be formed.

No Iowa here except for Io, the moon of Jupiter!

And I am pretty sure it was named by a man from Italy in MY WORLD. There is no Italy here, so how did Io stick around for THIS WORLD and Iowa did not? Io has no one living on it. Iowa DID have someone living on it. But I left and somehow, my home state was never part of this world.

How the heck did that author imagine a place like this? When I get back, I am writing that man a letter about the lack of my home state in his imagined world, because it is a real world and… Wait, wouldn't that be a new imagined world, a different reality and this one WITHOUT Iowa would still be here?

And rereading that idea… Who would take a letter like that seriously? I sound crazy and self important, telling him his imagined world needs a place for me… Well. When and if I ever write a book, Japan is so staying bombed and not a part of my book so that author cannot be any part of my imagined world either. Don't call me evil for wishing Japan bombed! They may not have had that war here, but they did in my world and it was before I was even born! Blame my country for that!

Okay… I can see why he left out our country in his imagined world.

But still…an Iowa SOMEWHERE would be nice to have here.


	3. World Twisted

**Tuned In**

_"There are hundreds of different radio waves being broadcast all around you from distant stations. At any given instant, your office or car or living room is full of these radio waves. However if you turn on a radio, you can listen to only one frequency at a time; these other frequencies are not in phase with each other. Each station has a different frequency, a different energy. As a result, your radio can only be turned to one broadcast at a time. Likewise, in our universe we are tuned into the frequency that corresponds to physical reality. But there are an infinite number of parallel realities coexisting with us in the same room, although we cannot tune into them."_  
><em>Professor Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize in Physics (1979)<em>

_"However, what if we could tune into a parallel reality? What if?"_  
><em>Silverwing013, author on fanfiction (2011)<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Written Sunday, May 14, 1989 of this world<strong>

He and I are getting a large bit worried over the pathway that got me here. If it is to work on getting me back, there needs to be another radio station to call me back. And I've got to be tuned in when it is sending out the right frequency. Unless my country in my world has some secret government that has made such a machine, has many radio stations, each set to a different energy, sending out that signal all the time on the spare chance of getting something because of all sorts of parallel realities that could be imagined…

Oh yeah. I am so screwed.

I can daydream and 'tune out' of this world, but it does me no good if the button I push is not receiving energy, a frequency, from a radio station.

Perhaps I should write a book with the United States being started, the book of my world, and insert some machine into it like that.

But then, if I inserted something that wasn't from my world, it would not really be my world. Not truly.

Both he and I see the problem of me doing that. I can imagine a world like that, but it would never be the world I came from. It would be my world, but twisted.

It looks like I'm not going home until we can figure out how to reverse his radio station so I can get back. Besides, he says, it does no good to travel realities if it is not really traveling but an accident of chance. I think he's just pissy that his machine did not work out on traveling HIM to a different reality. Instead, it sent someone from a different reality HERE.

Kazushi acts like a pouty little boy and keeps asking me questions about what my world is like. At least he is determined to make his radio station work the other way. If not on getting me back to my world from my little reading escape, but at least so he can visit my world personally.


	4. Real Places, What about the People?

**Tuned In**

_"There are hundreds of different radio waves being broadcast all around you from distant stations. At any given instant, your office or car or living room is full of these radio waves. However if you turn on a radio, you can listen to only one frequency at a time; these other frequencies are not in phase with each other. Each station has a different frequency, a different energy. As a result, your radio can only be turned to one broadcast at a time. Likewise, in our universe we are tuned into the frequency that corresponds to physical reality. But there are an infinite number of parallel realities coexisting with us in the same room, although we cannot tune into them."_  
><em>Professor Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize in Physics (1979)<em>

_"However, what if we could tune into a parallel reality? What if?"_  
><em>Silverwing013, author on fanfiction (2011)<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Written Monday, May 15, 1989 of this world<strong>

Today was the day I really explored the entire mannequin warehouse. See, the part of the story I was at had this as the place, so it makes sense I got here. However, the path I took must have taken some time, because there should have been a couple of young boys fighting a man with eight arms. Go figure from a reality that has three worlds; the human world, the spirit world, and the demon world.

Well, I found a few mannequins that did not break in a normal way. They were cut in pieces. But that could be done by about anyone. And the large stain of blood that remains over by one section of the warehouse… Well, it is abandoned after all. There would be some bad happenings in a place where there are no witnesses to say something.

Still, I wonder where in the storyline I entered.

Past the fight that took place here, in the abandoned warehouse. Well, if places were real and matched up with the story I read, wouldn't the people match up?

And call me a cat to be killed by curiosity, but… This place, this event, the people involved… This all took place a good year before the story of this world started for my book. I think. The warehouse scene was a flashback. Before the flashback, I don't recall seeing myself in the books, but perhaps I missed myself in the background? At least I have some warning of the reality I am now in, having it be the flashback I was reading before looking up to see Kazushi freaking out around me.

Would it really be that good of an idea to pursue my curiosity and see if the people were real if it could ruin the whole reality I entered? Ruin the bits of the story I know from before the flashback scene?

Well, I entered the world as more of a bystander in the stories I read, just tagging along…

Tomorrow I am going to enter the city, get out of this warehouse. Kazushi should be able to be persuaded since he wants to explore my world so badly. I'll just have to make sure he has no worries on losing me, his one result of that radio station he has.

Speaking of… He makes the weirdest remarks whenever I call it a radio station.


	5. Nakamori General Hospital

**Tuned In**

_"There are hundreds of different radio waves being broadcast all around you from distant stations. At any given instant, your office or car or living room is full of these radio waves. However if you turn on a radio, you can listen to only one frequency at a time; these other frequencies are not in phase with each other. Each station has a different frequency, a different energy. As a result, your radio can only be turned to one broadcast at a time. Likewise, in our universe we are tuned into the frequency that corresponds to physical reality. But there are an infinite number of parallel realities coexisting with us in the same room, although we cannot tune into them."_  
><em>Professor Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize in Physics (1979)<em>

_"However, what if we could tune into a parallel reality? What if?"_  
><em>Silverwing013, author on fanfiction (2011)<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Written Wednesday, May 17, 1989 of this world<strong>

I skipped a day. So what? Sue me. You're only a piece of paper.

At least I satisfied my curiosity without really endangering this reality.

I am after the abandoned warehouse scene like I figured. I also figured the characters of the story are, yes, in this reality. I don't know if they are spot on the same like in the book, but hey, I was curious. It was an imagined reality, but who knew if the imagined story was in the imagined reality. Make sense? Of course it does. It makes sense to me and this is my little journal, so only I read what I have written.

I am after the abandoned warehouse, but I am before the miracle back to health.

After all, the story does not show much of that. The one who gets the miracle only has a couple of visitors that are shown… So, I just went to visit the Nakamori General Hospital to see if that miracle lady was there. Only to find out that the place and her character is real in this reality.

I had to be careful then. I mean, if her visitors were there when I was there, that could change the part of the story when they get her miracle back to health. Because I know there were no background people that could possibly be me in the background of that part of the story. But a visitor heading from room to room, chit and chatting with some of the more ill, asking how their day was… No problem with that. People did that all the time. So even if she MENTIONED me to her visitors, it could be overlooked, it was not part of the story; they would dismiss the normality of it. Why would she even mention me? So, that would just be part of a normal of a day in the hospital for miracle lady.

But it by far was not a normal day visiting the hospital for me. I only visit when someone I know is really hurt long term. I have never met her, so I can't know her. I have never done the whole visiting the ill just to cheer them up. I'm not mean or anything, but one cannot help in every way possible all the time. And nursing just did not call to me like other forms of help did.

Not normal. But what made it so abnormal to be noted down was seeing her, finding out she was real in this reality. And thus, the main characters of the story from this reality must be real here as well. Wouldn't that be creepy and not at all believed? Telling someone that you were from another reality that they were in a story, main characters, and you knew all about them and some of what will happen to them?

That and Kurama is a paranoid bastard when it comes to his human mother.


	6. Collaboration?

**Tuned In**

_"There are hundreds of different radio waves being broadcast all around you from distant stations. At any given instant, your office or car or living room is full of these radio waves. However if you turn on a radio, you can listen to only one frequency at a time; these other frequencies are not in phase with each other. Each station has a different frequency, a different energy. As a result, your radio can only be turned to one broadcast at a time. Likewise, in our universe we are tuned into the frequency that corresponds to physical reality. But there are an infinite number of parallel realities coexisting with us in the same room, although we cannot tune into them."_  
><em>Professor Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize in Physics (1979)<em>

_"However, what if we could tune into a parallel reality? What if?"_  
><em>Silverwing013, author on fanfiction (2011)<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Written Thursday, May 18, 1989 of this world<strong>

Now that I have found that the people here are real in this reality, not just a story from this reality, I have been researching. In doing more looking into Shiori, she only just went to the hospital a few days prior to be tested on her health in noticing her body not feeling up to par. I did not think it through yesterday when I actually met her, but I do not think that they stated how long she was in the hospital, only that she had been there so long Kurama had tried all else to the point of willing to die for her. She does not become well until his hair grows out farther, meeting up with Hiei again and then Yusuke for the first time.

Who could forget that meeting? Yusuke would be impulsive, trying not to make a mother cry over a dead son, not stopping to realize his own mother would be sad for his second death.

Mothers… I wonder how it fares back in my own reality. Am I another missing child and a mother to morn for me in the news? It… It does not seem likely I will be returning if I need to tune into a radio from my own reality, set on the exact setting for me… However, I wish I could send everyone back home a note and let them know I am safe. How are they all doing?

Lord… The temptation to use something such as the Forlorn Hope seems all too much, despite the price. I would be back in my own reality…even if dead… No, I cannot do that. It would end my family's worry on what happened to me, but… Who would want that?

Kazushi mentioned perhaps, when push came to shove, bringing it up to the people in charge of his reality here. Bringing it up to Spirit World. And then pray on collaboration or some sort of supernatural device to send me back, rather than wait for him to complete his tinkering on his machine.

However, to bring it up to Spirit World…

Even Kazushi sadly agrees with me.

Until we reach the point of the story the new Spirit World Detective I had reached before the flashback… I simply know too much. They would never let me go.


	7. A Fishy Call

**Tuned In**

_"There are hundreds of different radio waves being broadcast all around you from distant stations. At any given instant, your office or car or living room is full of these radio waves. However if you turn on a radio, you can listen to only one frequency at a time; these other frequencies are not in phase with each other. Each station has a different frequency, a different energy. As a result, your radio can only be turned to one broadcast at a time. Likewise, in our universe we are tuned into the frequency that corresponds to physical reality. But there are an infinite number of parallel realities coexisting with us in the same room, although we cannot tune into them."_  
><em>Professor Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize in Physics (1979)<em>

_"However, what if we could tune into a parallel reality? What if?"_  
><em>Silverwing013, author on fanfiction (2011)<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Written Friday, May 19, 1989 of this world<strong>

It is not all too exciting here. While he tinkers away at equations and theories, I for the most part sit around being bored. It leaves too much time on my hands and far too much time left inside my own mind. My mind is too worried on matters back home, imagining what could be going on, and if I will ever be able to return.

So I have been spending my time searching the local bits of papers. At some point I found a stack of phone books and dialed up every single Kuwabara listed. It took the good part of the day, but I managed to find the correct one, a Kuwabara household with a Kazuma Kuwabara. Fishing about as a 'school friend' I managed to find out it was him from his elder sister, his next birthday so I could possibly give him a gift, and then asked her if he was just blowing out a single candle or the same number as his age. Fourteen of course, she had replied and then called me out on not being a school friend.

Wisely, I hung up. However, I was not sure on if there was a way for her to trace my phone back, so I laughed it off and thanked her for her help before I hung up.

If he is thirteen at the moment… Yusuke would be thirteen as well and it means it could be a whole year before he dies the first time.

A year possibly. I suppose that does answer how long Shiori was ill and why Kurama began looking at death as an answer.

A year.

There is no way I will remain inside this broken down mannequin warehouse for that long.


	8. Familiar Among the Unfamiliar

**Tuned In**

_"There are hundreds of different radio waves being broadcast all around you from distant stations. At any given instant, your office or car or living room is full of these radio waves. However if you turn on a radio, you can listen to only one frequency at a time; these other frequencies are not in phase with each other. Each station has a different frequency, a different energy. As a result, your radio can only be turned to one broadcast at a time. Likewise, in our universe we are tuned into the frequency that corresponds to physical reality. But there are an infinite number of parallel realities coexisting with us in the same room, although we cannot tune into them."_  
><em>Professor Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize in Physics (1979)<em>

_"However, what if we could tune into a parallel reality? What if?"_  
><em>Silverwing013, author on fanfiction (2011)<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Written Saturday, May 20, 1989 of this world<strong>

Kazushi must have noticed my pent up emotions.

Okay, I all but shoved it in his face. But it got me out of that warehouse once more.

He took a break from his radio station and we went out to gather spare sets of clothes for me and other necessities. Up until now, I had been using his shampoo and such, but now I have my own. He insisted, while I never cared much on my own. As long as I could shower, I did not mind having a 'male' shampoo. I do enjoy having my own toothbrush once more. And a couple sets of jeans, shirts, socks… Enough to last me a good week to wear them once and then wash them all.

He asked about the ones I came in, but I was not willing to give them up. He did not pressure me on that, thankfully.

Since he was free of his work and only asking me direct questions pertaining to his radio station, Kazushi began asking me more personal questions. Curiosity on my family, my life, and my reality. Then he began asking questions on the story that caused me to enter his reality.

I paused on that. While I did tell him the story of the fight that happened in the mannequin warehouse, since it had already happened, I was not up to telling him much else. It had not happened yet. He nodded.

"But it has something to do with that hospital you insisted on going to?"

The man was not stupid. I would never call him stupid, but he was curious.

"And then two young boys fighting off and killing a demon called Eight Hands? And this all has to do with a future Spirit World Detective, correct?"

I could not resist my own curiosity as well. I asked him where some of the local junior high schools were. So we made the trip down after shopping to rest on a bench, right outside a school as they let out. He was just as intrigued as I was, hoping to gain more knowledge on what had brought me here and what would happen.

If I was to stay in an unfamiliar world, I would rather be somewhere that I was at least somewhat familiar with. That was what led me to approach the principal of the school and ask of being a sort of tutor. Kazushi seemed honestly surprised by this from me.

I always had it in my heart to become a teacher, helping others. And well, none of the people I had to worry about would be too influenced by me becoming a tutor at their junior high school. Kurama would be heading to high school soon enough. He would never need a tutor. And the other two would need a tutor, but one hardly attended school and the other one…

Their story I had been reading was never about school. My story, my life, was about school. Might as well live my life and be somewhere somewhat familiar here. It would not affect them greatly, but it put ease on my mind while I lived here to have them nearby.

* * *

><p><em>Thank you to Kuromi-san114.<em>


	9. I'm an Alien

**Tuned In**

_"There are hundreds of different radio waves being broadcast all around you from distant stations. At any given instant, your office or car or living room is full of these radio waves. However if you turn on a radio, you can listen to only one frequency at a time; these other frequencies are not in phase with each other. Each station has a different frequency, a different energy. As a result, your radio can only be turned to one broadcast at a time. Likewise, in our universe we are tuned into the frequency that corresponds to physical reality. But there are an infinite number of parallel realities coexisting with us in the same room, although we cannot tune into them."_  
><em>Professor Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize in Physics (1979)<em>

_"However, what if we could tune into a parallel reality? What if?"_  
><em>Silverwing013, author on fanfiction (2011)<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Written Monday, May 22, 1989 of this world<strong>

I know that, of course, I look slightly different than the people around me. It did not really hit me until today of how different.

Kazushi walked me down to the junior high school I would be helping at, my way of keeping busy while he kept busy on his radio. He was definitely a work-a-holic for the general part of the day, practically living where he worked. While he was surprised I brought up the issue of me being bored with nothing to do, he reprimanded himself on not giving me something to do since he hates being bored himself. Still, the older man insisted to walk me to the middle school. I am sure he cares for me in some fashion, but it makes me laugh how he frets over me when he is no longer tinkering on his work and remembers I am there. It is almost as though he feels bad for ignoring me, but doesn't wish for anything bad to happen because I am part of the reason he is ignoring me. All work that man.

In any case, he did walk me to the junior high school, probing me with questions as he directed me there. As he looked up to point out the sign for me, where we would be turning left he said; he started moving his head around the sidewalk as though confused. Then he raised his eyes upwards and huffed.

I asked him what it was and he told me to just ignore the people. It was then I noticed what he had noticed. Everyone kept giving us a sidelong look, staring in dislike, and then looking away when one of us saw them looking. They hustled on by, but I twisted around to see them with their heads turned to look right at me.

He insisted on picking me up after school ended and told me to wait for him.

I had forgotten my heritage was of Germany, a country not of this reality. My lighter skin tone, dirty blonde hair, eye shape, and my generally considered average looks back home…are alien here. Alien can mean various things such as not being from this country, this earth, and a species living outside of its native range. Well, I think I fit almost all the classifications of being alien.

The principal who allowed me to follow him for the day in meeting every one of the school, seeing how well I would be as a volunteer, caught on to what some of the students were saying. My lighter looks were causing them to think I was a crane that became human. A few were pondering if this meant I lived for a thousand years. Rather than becoming a new kid in the school, even if a few years older, I was being called as the tancho, what they call the Japanese Crane here. Tancho. Well…I had enough odd nicknames back home and the Japanese Crane seems to be endangered. I wonder what you call the only one. It cannot mate with another…

Unnecessary? Past its time? Never should have been? Pointless? Worthless? Meaningless? Of no use anymore thank you please?

Dead?


	10. Timeline?

**Tuned In**

_"There are hundreds of different radio waves being broadcast all around you from distant stations. At any given instant, your office or car or living room is full of these radio waves. However if you turn on a radio, you can listen to only one frequency at a time; these other frequencies are not in phase with each other. Each station has a different frequency, a different energy. As a result, your radio can only be turned to one broadcast at a time. Likewise, in our universe we are tuned into the frequency that corresponds to physical reality. But there are an infinite number of parallel realities coexisting with us in the same room, although we cannot tune into them."_  
><em>Professor Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize in Physics (1979)<em>

_"However, what if we could tune into a parallel reality? What if?"_  
><em>Silverwing013, author on fanfiction (2011)<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Written Wednesday, May 24, 1989 of this world<strong>

Now that I look back and think over it… The difference of years should not surprise me. YuYu Hakusho had that late 80s and early 90s look to it. It being the year of 1989 makes sense. At least until I started thinking over it. The copyright date on the first manga states the series began in December of 1990. The main character dies then, so my guess of a year of waiting was correct. A little longer than a year, more like a year and a half of Shiori staying at Nakamori General Hospital.

However, I have read up to the seventh book. The look back was one year before Goki, Hiei, and Kurama teamed up to steal from Spirit World. If Yusuke dies in December of 1990, then does all the trials before coming back to life… How long was the time he was dead? A month? So around January or February…depending…wait. One of his trials did get him through Christmas, with the ghost who would not move from her seat on a bench. Then there was the ornery old man, Kuwabara's promise to not fight, a temporary resurrection, the troubled little ghost girl, who then stuck around to judge her hero's love life, and the boxer kid from back in Yusuke's childhood…

That is quite a bit going on after Christmas. Okay, so Yusuke possibly came back to life closer to March of 1991. But if the demon Eight Hands was here before Kazushi dragged all his work inside. Perhaps I should ask on when he moved his materials here. However, that would bring the fight back to around April or so. April 1989 all the way to March of 1991 before the artifacts are stolen when the series claimed one year later? The timing makes it almost two years. One year later is not making any sense to me.

Perhaps the timeline is shifted in some way? Or…oh! He, I always forget his name, but the dude who married the creator of Sailor Moon and her name fails me as well… Um, Yogishi Toga something? I'll look at his name later on the book that came through with me. Anyway, he would have had the story in mind before he wrote it and it became published. So perhaps the times align up with when it first entered his mind?

So…if I guess on April of the month of the fight against Eight Hands, then a year later would be April 1990 rather than December of 1990. If April is when the artifacts were stolen and Yusuke is dead during Christmas, then he actually becomes roadkill much closer, more like December this year…only six months away. Then he is a ghost for about three or four months…until April and gets the artifact case nearly days after coming back to life. Six months plus that…

Poor Shiori for all that time! I am going to have to check to see the next time I can stop by the hospital again. I certainly hope they do not keep her in that hospital for that long. At least allow for some time at home. Perhaps I'll visit her again.

* * *

><p><em>Thank you to Phantom Hobbit and OhhTaylorJade.<em>


	11. Love of Helping

**Tuned In**

_"There are hundreds of different radio waves being broadcast all around you from distant stations. At any given instant, your office or car or living room is full of these radio waves. However if you turn on a radio, you can listen to only one frequency at a time; these other frequencies are not in phase with each other. Each station has a different frequency, a different energy. As a result, your radio can only be turned to one broadcast at a time. Likewise, in our universe we are tuned into the frequency that corresponds to physical reality. But there are an infinite number of parallel realities coexisting with us in the same room, although we cannot tune into them."_  
><em>Professor Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize in Physics (1979)<em>

_"However, what if we could tune into a parallel reality? What if?"_  
><em>Silverwing013, author on fanfiction (2011)<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Written Friday, May 26, 1989 of this world<strong>

Today, one of the students shyly came up to me when I was searching the library for books about mythology for a teacher. Nervously, she introduced herself as Natsuko and asked me if I was a volunteer or a student teacher.

Well, I am kind of both since I am volunteering but hope to become a teacher someday. I told her so.

Somehow it wound up that I spent the next half hour helping Natsuko with her algebra homework in understanding it. The small girl is a friendly one, if a bit nervous when first speaking with someone. She slowly opened up and I found she has a love of music. Together we created a little diddy to help her remember a formula. She kept thanking me as she left, insisting on how my explanation was more helpful than the math teacher or her friend's attempts.

Really, I did not do all that much. I only like helping people figure out things.

"Tancho, you should really tutor or set up a study hall. I'd go all the time. I'm telling Mister Takanaka about you. Oh! I'm sorry if I'm embarrassing you!"

She's quite the little polite girl, very nervous on doing something wrong. It's cute. The large glasses magnifying her eyes help her look even cuter.

I'd be really amazing if I could help out more students every day. I would love doing that. And if I recall, Mister Takanaka was one of the highly praised teachers around this junior high. Natsuko is so sweet in trying to help me do what I love after how I answered her first question.

However, I cannot shake the feeling that I should know more about her. Natsuko seems a bit familiar in all her apologetic mannerisms.

* * *

><p><em>Thanks to S. A. Raven and OhhTaylorJade.<em>


	12. Feeling Young and Stupid

**Tuned In**

_"There are hundreds of different radio waves being broadcast all around you from distant stations. At any given instant, your office or car or living room is full of these radio waves. However if you turn on a radio, you can listen to only one frequency at a time; these other frequencies are not in phase with each other. Each station has a different frequency, a different energy. As a result, your radio can only be turned to one broadcast at a time. Likewise, in our universe we are tuned into the frequency that corresponds to physical reality. But there are an infinite number of parallel realities coexisting with us in the same room, although we cannot tune into them."_  
><em>Professor Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize in Physics (1979)<em>

_"However, what if we could tune into a parallel reality? What if?"_  
><em>Silverwing013, author on fanfiction (2011)<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Written Monday, May 29, 1989 of this world<strong>

It seems the word got out on my helping Natsuko last Friday. The students are no longer whispering about the odd pale foreigner anymore, but coming right up to me to ask personal and school questions.

Where did you grow up? How old are you? Can you help me with my chemistry homework? Are you really an adopted niece of Mister Takanaka? What do you know about mythologies? Are you a young teacher? Do you have a special someone? How many known galaxies are there?

They are all so full of questions. The rumor of me being an adopted niece of Mister Takanaka was interesting to find out. At least they connected me to one of the highly praised teachers, rather than one of the two most hated ones. That's something.

Speaking of the teacher, it seems Natsuko did talk to him after all and after seeing today, he asked me about the possibilities of setting aside an area for me. The man even smiled at my protests when I said I don't have a degree or any real resume or experience.

"Well, let's see how it goes for a month or so. If it goes well enough, I will talk to the principal and superintendent about hiring you. You'll have experience then."

And then he left me stuttering in the hallway, smiling as he walked back to his own classroom. This leaves me uncertain if I really like the man or not. Really, that so sure attitude and compliments he put on me. Sure, I suppose I feel pride when I manage to help someone figure out something, but I'm just helping based on what the real teachers do. They would have figured it out sooner or later…

Just like me on figuring out why Natsuko seemed familiar. Turns out her friend who was failing to explain how to use the math formula…well, Natsuko's friend came up and thanked me for helping her. She came up to me in the hallway after Mister Takanaka left and I was muttering to myself on all the issues, such as only being a few years older than those I was helping. I suppose the junior high school students have that answered now. I only just graduated high school, the youngest in my class at seventeen. I feel old and young here at the same time.

And very very young as I realized a thirteen-year-old, slightly chubby faced, pig tails on each side not helping, brown eyes open in kindness, Keiko Yukimura thanked me for helping her friend Natsuko. Oy vey.

* * *

><p><em>Thanks to KuramaEnzanBlues (times seven) and OhhTalyorJade.<em>


	13. Please, Fail!

**Tuned In**

_"There are hundreds of different radio waves being broadcast all around you from distant stations. At any given instant, your office or car or living room is full of these radio waves. However if you turn on a radio, you can listen to only one frequency at a time; these other frequencies are not in phase with each other. Each station has a different frequency, a different energy. As a result, your radio can only be turned to one broadcast at a time. Likewise, in our universe we are tuned into the frequency that corresponds to physical reality. But there are an infinite number of parallel realities coexisting with us in the same room, although we cannot tune into them."_  
><em>Professor Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize in Physics (1979)<em>

_"However, what if we could tune into a parallel reality? What if?"_  
><em>Silverwing013, author on fanfiction (2011)<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Written Saturday, June 3, 1989 of this world<strong>

Kazushi has apparently finished talking over things with his wife so that I can room at their house for now. His wife and daughter came over to visit him today soon after school was done. Yeah, school on Saturday. At least for the first half of the day, then it is early out until next Monday. It makes me wonder if instead of a T.G.I.F. (Thank God it's Friday) if they have a T.G.I.S. but I have yet to hear anyone say a T.G.I.S.

I played with his daughter for a bit while Kazushi talked more with his wife. Megumi is very friendly and clingy for a seven-year-old. It did not take much prompting from anyone for her interest to immediately go to me, the person she had not met before. She latched right onto my arm, spouting off questions and telling me all her favorite things. One of her favorite things to do is sing.

Megumi is actually pretty good at singing, but her enthusiasm in belting them out left my ears ringing at such close range.

I love little kids, but teaching with them all day… Being able to be working at a junior high is less tiresome than excitable little kids. The larger tone of junior high kids seems to be pretty grumpy and lazy at times. The excited ones know how to hold back at that point, such as Natsuko and Keiko in stopping by a couple times this week.

Please, please let Keiko fail in what she told me she was trying to do for Monday. I have helped out several kids throughout this week, but so far…and so far in this world, I have managed to stay away from the main characters. Please Keiko, please fail, fail in dragging in your childhood hoodlum friend for me to help. It would be too strange.

* * *

><p><em>Thanks to KuramaEnzanBlues and OhhTaylorJade.<em>


	14. With: Kazushi

**Tuned In**

_"There are hundreds of different radio waves being broadcast all around you from distant stations. At any given instant, your office or car or living room is full of these radio waves. However if you turn on a radio, you can listen to only one frequency at a time; these other frequencies are not in phase with each other. Each station has a different frequency, a different energy. As a result, your radio can only be turned to one broadcast at a time. Likewise, in our universe we are tuned into the frequency that corresponds to physical reality. But there are an infinite number of parallel realities coexisting with us in the same room, although we cannot tune into them."_  
><em>Professor Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize in Physics (1979)<em>

_"However, what if we could tune into a parallel reality? What if?"_

_Silverwing013, author on fanfiction (2011)_

* * *

><p>"Kimbie, Kimbie!"<p>

Kazushi sighed and took off after his runaway daughter, the small uniformed girl dashing around older junior high students. Although the different shade and kind of uniforms made her easy to see, Megumi had fast feet and more maneuvering room. As much as he loved his daughter, Kazushi could only handle so much of her, his wife usually handling her after classes. However, his wife had a doctor's appointment this afternoon, leaving him to pick up Megumi.

"Megumi! Get back here! We're meeting her at the front gate!"

"Aw, she's so cute," a junior high school girl commented. Her and her group of friends giggled to themselves. Another whispered, "And what about him?" The others shrieked into a fit of laughter at him. "Glasses guy is cute too!"

He continued his hurried steps to the school building, muttering to himself as he entered. "I have a daughter and am twice your age. Perhaps in a time machine… No, exploring new places excites me more… Megumi! Excuse me," he addressed an older gentleman. "Can you tell me if you saw my seven year old girl running around here?"

"Actually," the man replied with a smile. "I just pointed her down the hallway to the library and she took off that way. Ms. Powell has a temporary space in the corner. I take it you are her guardian while she is living here?"

"Of a sort," Kazushi admitted. It had been through his mistake at some point, the young girl had come to be here. But this, he did not wish to admit out loud. "And you are?"

"Mister Takanaka, a teacher at Sarayashiki Junior High," the man replied. He continued walking beside Kazushi. "I put her name and the idea forward to the current principle. Ms. Powell does a fairly decent job of explaining things to the students here. Her age helps her seem more approachable, but from what she first did with Natsuko, has real potential."

Kazushi hummed. "Yes, she enjoys even teaching my daughter new things. Current principle?"

"Yes, Mister Shueisha. Matters of health in his older age have finally gotten to him. He'll be missed, seeing how he cared enough to remain here past retirement age." The teacher paused, opening up the library doors for Kazushi. "There you are. Although, if she still wishes it, Ms. Powell and her place here will not be affected by this change. I will be running principle shortly."

"Congratulations." Nodding at the brown haired man, Kazushi sped up and searched the lengths of the bookcases. He did not see his daughter in the corner, but did spot a couple of junior high students arguing. The one was definitely a young punk kid, but was being completely lectured over by a pretty young girl in pigtails.

"Yusuke Urameshi! Trying it once is better than laying up on the roof ignoring what learning should be going on inside! You are going to give her—"

"Some foreign gi—"

The young teenager poked her index finger into his chest. "Don't you be giving me your excuses! Tancho is really good at making it all hands on for Natsuko, Noriyuki, and Yukiyoshi. It's like when we played games or made crafts in elementary school, you liked that!"

"I'm not a little kid anymore Kieko! Quit treating me like one! School just ain't my thing and it's not like I have to go to high school in life anyway," the boy argued.

"Um Kazushi?" The man turned his attention away from the couple and saw a light face looking at him, slightly pink in the round cheeks. "Megumi leapt onto me. She's here. Shall we go?"

"Go, go," Megumi sang out. The small girl blew up at her long dark bangs, not willing to use her hands and let go of her piggy back rider. "Weeee came to see and Kimbie let me be! IIIIII'm perched way up top away from pop! Caaaaaaause Kimbie is who I want to ride! Boo! Cause boo rhymes with who! That I kneeeeeew!"

His daughter giggled like mad and the older girl sighed. "So much for hiding…"

"There you are Ms. Powell," called out the junior high girl brightly. She waved merrily and then jerked her arm back to catch the boy sneaking away by his sleeve. "This is Yusuke, my childhood friend I was telling you about last week."

Megumi paused in playing with long dirty blonde hair and looked over at the new people. The small girl bellowed. "Hi Yusuke! Hey, do you want to hear a song? I know lots!" Without waiting for a reply, Megumi burst into the song. "Fight to believe in the future! Because **that** is why we're alive! Juuuump into believing—"

Muffled, she still tried to keep singing, but Kazushi kept his palm over her mouth. "We talked about volume remember Megumi?"

He felt her mouth pout under his hand before she nodded.

"Actually Keiko, I was just leaving for the day. Is there anything specific you need help with Yusuke?"

"Nope, not at all," he replied and then automatically winced before the screaming began.

Megumi beamed and went right back into her song as Keiko chewed out Yusuke. Kazushi just shrugged, glad at least his daughter was not belting out lyrics from his shoulders.

"Keiko? Keiko! Megumi, you too." The foreign girl took in a breath. "Yusuke, you have a real good friend looking out for you. Don't just throw her ideas out the window right away, consider them. Keiko, you can suggest for Yusuke, but he is not going to learn too much if he forced into doing something. Let him come to me on his own some other day. I do have to get going since these two came to pick me up, so why don't you two think that over before tomorrow."

Kazushi eyed the girl as they left the school, Megumi humming to herself on top her shoulders. "Kimberly. Why were you hiding from those two? They have something to do with the story of our world you were reading, don't they?"

She cast her eyes downward. "Yes. It makes it odd for me and I worry that I may show more knowledge about them than I should know."

He took the information in for a moment. "Yusuke was the main character, the upcoming Spirit World Detective, isn't he?"

Kimberly nodded and Megumi started singing Yusuke's name, playing around with how she could sing it.

"I wouldn't worry. Keiko is far too focused on him, she'll bring him up naturally and they will both assume she told you at some point. Besides, he has a lack of motivation in learning from the teachers at that school. He is probably more of a doer which would be why Spirit World would like someone like him. Oh yes," he said. "It seems your trial run helping out at Sarayashiki Junior High will be made more permanent. Mister Takanaka informed me so when he said he'll be the next running principal. Congratulations."

She groaned. "He doesn't take no for an answer. I still do not see how much good I can do when I just graduated high school. Not as though I have any ID to allow me more education on teaching."

"Kimbie is the best! Oh, yes she is! Better than the rest! Oh, yes she is! If you need to learn, Kimbie is like a light! She'll lead your way out of the dark night!"

Kazushi smiled. "Well sang Megumi. Kimberly is good at teaching you things, isn't she?"

Megumi nodded fiercely, almost knocking her chin on top of Kimberly's head. "Kimbie is the best! Oh, yes she is!"

"Okay! I get it Megumi," she laughed out. "You think I am the best at teaching!"

"You **are** the best Kimbie! I bet you can even teach naughty Yusuke, treating you like horrible vegetables! Blagh! Learning is like a…billion out of ten! Vegetables are like a two!"

* * *

><p><em>Thanks to KuramaEnzanBlues and OhhTaylorJade.<em>


	15. Cannot Send to Reciever

**Tuned In**

_"There are hundreds of different radio waves being broadcast all around you from distant stations. At any given instant, your office or car or living room is full of these radio waves. However if you turn on a radio, you can listen to only one frequency at a time; these other frequencies are not in phase with each other. Each station has a different frequency, a different energy. As a result, your radio can only be turned to one broadcast at a time. Likewise, in our universe we are tuned into the frequency that corresponds to physical reality. But there are an infinite number of parallel realities coexisting with us in the same room, although we cannot tune into them."_  
><em>Professor Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize in Physics (1979)<em>

_"However, what if we could tune into a parallel reality? What if?"_  
><em>Silverwing013, author on fanfiction (2011)<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Written Saturday, June 17, 1989 of this world<strong>

Happy birthday.

I wish I could say those words today to her. It has now been over a month since I last saw my mom. What would I not give away to be able to escape my escape. It was always so easy when I would escape into a story and if I grew tired of it, I could just set it down and leave it until later. You always need a few outlets in life, a way to relax and I still enjoy reading stories. I don't learn do I? My love of reading isn't affected by Kazushi's radio station.

Although it was not my doing, my momentary escape from life has become an escape I cannot get out of. Well… I don't know. Is it my fault? Hurting my eyes from reading too long that the light went out was my fault somewhat. I could have turned on a lamp to stop that from happening, but I always forget. This is a place where there are psychics and all that. Did I do something mentally? Did I just imagine the story in my head, with me on the sidelines, and forgetting I held a book… Did I mentally do something too strongly and 'pop', here I am?

It just does not seem real to me. I mean, I am here. But I did not grow up here. I'm an alien in all sense of the word. I feel foreign in so many ways. Or is it this world that is foreign and I have drifted off during reading with picturing the movie in my head? It would not feel strange to find these passing of days to be only a few hours missed and that I have fallen asleep while reading.

However, I know my dreams; control my dreams at some point. There would be a clear ending, wrapping up of some odd storyline, something to give away my need for it to end.

I have been ready to leave for a while and nothing has changed.

If we can ever reverse Kazushi's radio station… That would be great; I can always come back and visit them all with no worries on getting back home, but…

Happy birthday mom. Your daughter is still alive and safe. Please don't worry. College would have taken me away soon anyway. Tell Chris no, he can't have my bed. And make sure he doesn't keep testing Freckles on her landing ability. Love, Kimberly.

* * *

><p><em>Thanks to KuramaEnzanBlues and OhhTaylorJade.<em>


	16. Hearts of Little Boys

**Tuned In**

_"There are hundreds of different radio waves being broadcast all around you from distant stations. At any given instant, your office or car or living room is full of these radio waves. However if you turn on a radio, you can listen to only one frequency at a time; these other frequencies are not in phase with each other. Each station has a different frequency, a different energy. As a result, your radio can only be turned to one broadcast at a time. Likewise, in our universe we are tuned into the frequency that corresponds to physical reality. But there are an infinite number of parallel realities coexisting with us in the same room, although we cannot tune into them."_  
><em>Professor Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize in Physics (1979)<em>

_"However, what if we could tune into a parallel reality? What if?"  
>Silverwing013, author on fanfiction (2011)<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Written Friday, June 23, 1989 of this world<strong>

Mister Takanaka made me 'official' at Sarayashiki Junior High. Well, I'll be official after the two week summer break starting.

I'm not sure how to word it, but basically, I think I'm the official study hall/teacher's assistant. My corner is being set up with a desk and room to place anything I would like there. If I need any material to help, all I need to do is ask the classroom teachers for any extra they may have. As such, they are now required to send me a weekly grid of what they are working on in the classroom, to help.

Several have expressed pleasure and joy at my outside help, that they wish students would ask them but they did not always have the time to do so. These are the ones I sense have taken on so many classes to teach for their joy of teaching students. As a result though, it makes it more difficult for them to give that one on one time with the students they so love to teach. Others…were more insulted by Mister Takanaka requiring them to give me weekly grids. They do not see the need for any outside help, much less a pale foreigner's aid.

Ouch.

However, given those two are the most hated teachers here; I cannot say I didn't see those feelings coming at me.

I expected both of those. Mister Takanaka with his stubborn insistence and the feelings caused by the teachers at his decision. They have all been dropping hints at feelings of me helping out for quite some time. However, I did not expect the reaction of one of the students.

Halfway through the day, one of the students sulked into the library, spun about one of the chairs at my corner, and then sat in it backwards. I'm pretty sure I blinked in surprise at his broad grin.

"What? Keiko'd never think of looking for me here."

I laughed at that. It was true. I doubted she would expect him anywhere besides the school roof.

"Mister Take too," he added. A roll of eyes followed. "He loves lecturing just as much as she does. Congrats."

I raised my eyebrows. He was congratulating me? After the little he showed on caring about education? He had missed the last four days of school only to show up the day before break. I told him that. Or something like that.

"Hey! I may not give a shit, but you seem to like it enough ta do it for free! And you ain't getting on my case. I got enough raggers in my life, but you didn't start in like all the other normal teachers here." He smirked. Which, seems like out of sorts with his baby fat still lingering on his cheeks, but well…it fit him like a mischievous little boy. "Little deviant."

"Deviant? Fancy word for abnormal." He snickered at that and started playing with items on my desk. "So what? Is this your way of thanking me? For when I asked and gave you a choice on my help, rather than drag you here like Keiko did?"

He snorted and continued messing with the objects on my desk, keeping his eyes averted. What a typical guy! Chris always did the same thing when he thanked me. Never an outright word of thanks, he always had to sneak it in without making it seem like a thank you. He seems so young. For what he would be going through shortly, he is far too young… Forcing him to grow up in ways most did not.

So I made and then flicked a paper football, directing a solid hit onto his forehead.

His face!

And hey, if I snuck in 'advice' on the geometry of our paper football and probabilities and some statistics with our little game… I always do think the best teaching moments are the ones related to real life. Just like my brother Chris. A little boy at heart. Yusuke didn't protest. However, I am not sure if he caught onto it being a little lesson…

Although, it was a little hard for us to explain when Keiko caught us in the act of playing games. Perhaps I should teach Keiko a little lesson like this later… I sympathize with Yusuke from what he stated in the manga. Her voice does get a bit on the screechy side when she lectures him.

* * *

><p><em>Thanks to KuramaEnzanBlues and OhhTaylorJade.<em>


	17. Too Much An Intrusion?

**Tuned In**

_"There are hundreds of different radio waves being broadcast all around you from distant stations. At any given instant, your office or car or living room is full of these radio waves. However if you turn on a radio, you can listen to only one frequency at a time; these other frequencies are not in phase with each other. Each station has a different frequency, a different energy. As a result, your radio can only be turned to one broadcast at a time. Likewise, in our universe we are tuned into the frequency that corresponds to physical reality. But there are an infinite number of parallel realities coexisting with us in the same room, although we cannot tune into them."_  
><em>Professor Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize in Physics (1979)<em>

_"However, what if we could tune into a parallel reality? What if?"_  
><em>Silverwing013, author on fanfiction (2011)<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Written Sunday, June 25, 1989 of this world<strong>

It was a bit odd for me yesterday. I had just begun getting used to visiting her on Saturday afternoons, but it seems she has been released from the hospital.

It had been…nice. She's such a…mother, a mothering person. It was very nice to be able to visit her.

In any case, Kazushi had been stuffed away at the warehouse for some time. So, Haruka and Megumi and I went out for a day on the town. Megumi was very excited the whole time, dragging me from window to window, pointing out what was of interest of her. We never bought anything, but it was nice to walk around and chat. The only money we spent was at a small ramen show. Oh, yum! Instant chicken ramen I at when feeling sick has nothing on this!

But then… I noticed a small kitten on our walk back, mewing away. A little white fluff with chocolate spritzed on top. Megumi told me I should take it, Haruka insisting with her. I pulled Haruka to the side and tried to explain to her, but she kept insisting, saying Megumi would love a pet as well. So, the little fluff is mine now. I named her Cookie…for the brown.

But well, can I really keep her? I feel as if I am intruding more than what I should. Intruding into a world not mine, a school not mine, a family not mine… Still, Cookie is cute. It's nice to have a pet cat once more. I just feel…

I don't think I should make myself that comfortable here.

* * *

><p><em>Thanks to KuramaEnzanBlues, Aviarianna O Lorien, and OhhTaylroJade.<em>


	18. Pride of Country

**Tuned In**

_"There are hundreds of different radio waves being broadcast all around you from distant stations. At any given instant, your office or car or living room is full of these radio waves. However if you turn on a radio, you can listen to only one frequency at a time; these other frequencies are not in phase with each other. Each station has a different frequency, a different energy. As a result, your radio can only be turned to one broadcast at a time. Likewise, in our universe we are tuned into the frequency that corresponds to physical reality. But there are an infinite number of parallel realities coexisting with us in the same room, although we cannot tune into them."_  
><em>Professor Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize in Physics (1979)<em>

_"However, what if we could tune into a parallel reality? What if?"_  
><em>Silverwing013, author on fanfiction (2011)<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Written Wednesday, July 4, 1989 of this world<strong>

Oh, Megumi is a sweet little girl.

I remarked today was the Fourth of July and she asked me why today was important. I told her it was the day in history my country became a country. It was a day of celebration. She asked what some of the things we did to celebrate were. Then she disappeared for a while. Turns out she had left to tell her mom and made a list.

The pair of them disappeared, asking me to look after the house. When they returned, they had several items. Megumi excitedly told me we were going to make my flag first, waving about a stick and a thick white canvas sheet. Haruka laughed and held up the paints. Red, white, and blue.

We each made one. I explained why there were so many stripes and stars. They seemed very interested and curious about how large my country was to hold 50 states. At least…these two can understand where I came from and why my country was so unheard of hear. It would be harder to explain my large country to others living here.

Then Megumi dug out cotton candy and we had a snack. Haruka brought out the bingo cards, confused on that one. I laughed at that. It may not be a Fourth of July tradition for everyone, but it was for my family. I asked Megumi for a piece of paper and drew out a rough version of a quarter. Each year, my family would stop to play a few rounds of bingo in the afternoon. One card for a round was a dime to play. Three cards to play were worth a whole quarter. The price was fairly small and cheap, but it was something my family had done since I was small, outgrowing the kiddie rides provided. All three of us for a quarter, making it a card for each of us.

Megumi was very very excited to hear some stories of Chris. She was hoping for a little brother over a little sister from her mom. Wants to make the females and males in the family balanced.

After we played a few rounds, Megumi being the bingo caller (of course), we grabbed our things and headed out to grab Kazushi from the warehouse. The food of choice, hamburgers from a small shop's grill. Sadly, all three were confused on my definitions of a full grill out with hot dogs and brats. I don't think they have hot dogs and brats here…

And then Megumi and Haruka surprised me by pulling out small firecrackers out of Haruka's purse. Kazushi chuckled. He's used to the girls in his life going all out it seems. But me? I'm pretty sure at this point I started crying.

To which Megumi told me to sing a song and cheer up.

"And I'm proud to be an American."

* * *

><p><em>Thanks to KuramaEnzanBlues, OhhTaylorJade, and gender-bending-lover-101.<em>


	19. Past Surprises, Future Answers

**Tuned In**

_"There are hundreds of different radio waves being broadcast all around you from distant stations. At any given instant, your office or car or living room is full of these radio waves. However if you turn on a radio, you can listen to only one frequency at a time; these other frequencies are not in phase with each other. Each station has a different frequency, a different energy. As a result, your radio can only be turned to one broadcast at a time. Likewise, in our universe we are tuned into the frequency that corresponds to physical reality. But there are an infinite number of parallel realities coexisting with us in the same room, although we cannot tune into them."_  
><em>Professor Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize in Physics (1979)<em>

_"However, what if we could tune into a parallel reality? What if?"_  
><em>Silverwing013, author on fanfiction (2011)<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Written Saturday, July 28, 1989 of this world<strong>

Well, I apologize that it has been a while.

Of course, it is a little hard to write on a certain bit of paper when the paper is a whole world away. Spirit World came 'sniffing around' so to say and Kazushi and I were both carted up there for the past three weeks. Given how he has spoken on the three worlds, it was no surprise to me to find some familiarity between Kazushi and several people.

What really surprised me was to find out he was part of a team in his younger years. Due to his father in any case, not officially. His father was a psychic called out of retirement for a bit, they forcing Kazushi to go with his father. No wonder Kazushi agreed with me on my use of future knowledge thanks to the story I had been reading upon entering this reality. He had firsthand experience.

I asked him about it and he had a rather grim response. He had not kept up on his powers, letting them die out so Spirit World had no reason to drag him back later.

I did not realize something like that, coming naturally to a person, _could_ die out.

It makes me pause to wonder the strength behind that decision and why.

In any case, a group of them kept questioning me on the story I was reading to enter into this reality. After multiple questions on the place I came from to be sure I was the something that didn't belong. I stayed with the story of the fight at the mannequin warehouse. It had been what I was reading when Kazushi saw me appear. And to the place he worked at, it was obvious that the fight had already occurred. Nothing I knew would be of any use, given it was all in the past.

The one that seemed determined to push the information of the story finally ferreted out how I was hiding the information.

"Flashback."

Given the machines and people in the room to detect lies, it was pretty much over for me right then. Kazushi had some appropriate language to use.

At least I managed to not be sent to King Enma. I told them off, in a way, by saying it personally did not deal with any of them. If anyone had the highest reason to be open to my story's knowledge, it would be Koenma. He was in charge of the future team I had read, not any of them. Koenma. Thank my lord King Enma was never brought up then.

I trust Koenma a bit more than King Enma. At least, I have a 'read' on his character or personality. Oh the puns…

I met the god child. Wow.

And he gave me a dangly and shiny bracelet to never take off in fear of the wrath of, well, his father.

Oh, and I cannot say this later on, but… I totally do NOT blame Yusuke for his reaction to meeting Koenma. I hoped for the eyes to give me some age, but that _really_ is a toddler form.

* * *

><p><em>Thanks to OhhTaylorJade and KuramaEnzanBlues (or now as KuramaMustangElric).<br>_


	20. Never Take Enma's Name in Vain

**Tuned In**

_"There are hundreds of different radio waves being broadcast all around you from distant stations. At any given instant, your office or car or living room is full of these radio waves. However if you turn on a radio, you can listen to only one frequency at a time; these other frequencies are not in phase with each other. Each station has a different frequency, a different energy. As a result, your radio can only be turned to one broadcast at a time. Likewise, in our universe we are tuned into the frequency that corresponds to physical reality. But there are an infinite number of parallel realities coexisting with us in the same room, although we cannot tune into them."_  
><em>Professor Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize in Physics (1979)<em>

_"However, what if we could tune into a parallel reality? What if?"_  
><em>Silverwing013, author on fanfiction (2011)<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Written Monday, July 30, 1989 of this world<strong>

Me and my poor little Tancho rear. Everyone was asking why I returned a week after break was over. It is a little hard to explain, but at least Haruka had given the school a call. Left it at documentation issues I had to deal with so that I could remain in Japan.

Well, kind of the truth I guess. Since it was my being here under question…

This was what everyone had to ask me. Personally, I have been going nuts with questions since Kazushi let his little past moment with Spirit World out.

I got it out of Haruka late tonight, just a little while ago. Megumi had finally been told off to bed and Kazushi was irritated (so said his wife) and was back at work.

It seems as I found out before, his father was part of a Spirit World team in his younger years and pulled out of retirement for a case against a rouge detective. There rest of his old team had been called back as well. Kazushi, at the time, was in high school, where he at Haruka first met. Since he was born with the same abilities as his father, Spirit World dragged him into their business with his father.

Well…

Someone made the vague order of motivate him, for Kazushi's father. So a worker of Spirit World did just that. They directly attacked Kazushi and Haruka's high school under the guise of this rouge detective they wanted Kazushi's father to come back out of retirement for. Neither knew it at the time that it was a worker of Spirit World.

Haruka doubts Spirit World planned on riling up Kazushi himself though. In the well-executed fire that took the lives of several of their classmates (a whole dozen!), there were also many injured from the need to escape the fiery building. Haruka wound up with a broken leg that almost set the death count to thirteen. Kazushi was able to get around the mob pouring outward and carry her out.

I think the part of him getting in had something to do with his abilities. She didn't say much else on how he rescued her.

That was how Kazushi was dragged into it with his father. His father to protect Kazushi and Kazushi to protect Haruka, from who they both thought was this rogue detective. But actually, it was the Spirit World worker giving his father motivation for the real rogue detective.

In calling him back and getting the proper motivation… Kazushi's father died because of the real rogue, by means of fire and guns. Fire and guns. I asked about that and Haruka shrugged stiffly, saying the detective was fairly mentally unbalanced.

So Kazushi spent a near year, helping Spirit World in trying to track down the detective once more. Then at some point…another worker of Spirit World spoke badly of how an order was handled and he overheard. It was the vague order of giving his father proper motivation.

I don't know how I am going to face him straight again after this. He spent a year trying to avenge his father's death, only to find out his father had no actual reason to come out of retirement…much less die for his son's safety. How…

Lord. My lord.

I won't swear in the name of Enma. Not once.

God, really? Him?

Fuck the idiot.

Koenma, you sure as hell better not be like your father. This family, the people here who wish to be my guardians and treat me just like their own… Okay, he may not have his ability anymore because he did not wish to be used by Spirit World again, but I sure as hell bet Kazushi and Haruka would find some way to kick your ass. Megumi can spout damage to your ears and I'll throw my cat at you.

Eat Cookie.

…Pathetic. Okay, I'll find a better way to threaten a god child after I get some rest.

* * *

><p><em>Thanks to KuramaMustangElric and OhhTaylorJade.<em>


	21. The B & B

**Tuned In**

_"There are hundreds of different radio waves being broadcast all around you from distant stations. At any given instant, your office or car or living room is full of these radio waves. However if you turn on a radio, you can listen to only one frequency at a time; these other frequencies are not in phase with each other. Each station has a different frequency, a different energy. As a result, your radio can only be turned to one broadcast at a time. Likewise, in our universe we are tuned into the frequency that corresponds to physical reality. But there are an infinite number of parallel realities coexisting with us in the same room, although we cannot tune into them."_  
><em>Professor Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize in Physics (1979)<em>

_"However, what if we could tune into a parallel reality? What if?"_  
><em>Silverwing013, author on fanfiction (2011)<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Written Monday, August 13, 1989 of this world<strong>

And have a very happy birthday. Woot. I am now officially eighteen.

Natsuko somehow found out (my bet is on Mister Take) and gathered up about twenty or so students to sing to me as I left the library at the end of the day. Yusuke made me laugh because he was looking very annoyed by Keiko's arm latched onto his. He then noticed me looking at him and rolled his eyes, but with a large grin. Noriyuki and Yukiyoshi were with Natsuko from the little math sessions they all came in together for. A couple of the teachers had laughed and stopped to watch behind the group of students.

When they got to my name, most of them started saying Tancho, before realizing it should be Ms. Powell. Half of them shrugged and sang Tancho anyway, clashing the two names into one. Most of them forget during our time together anyone. Then others, like Keiko, call me Tancho when I am not around.

I celebrated afterwards with Megumi and Haruka walking around the town. The birthday present I insisted on was a proper tag for Cookie. That kitten looks more like a young cat now.

Yeah… I think I am getting far too comfortable living here to be insisting on leaving my mark. At least I seem to be okay in Koenma's eyes. Nothing has happened with Spirit World thankfully. Kazushi is sure Koenma will do something like his father, but well… I think Koenma may make a mistake from his younger age and excitement, but I don't think he would every purposely harm a person. At least no news is good news, right?

Oh! Speaking of news! The doctors said they are sure it is a boy! Megumi is ecstatic for a younger brother to balance out the genders of her family. And just like her, Megumi connected it to my own younger brother and told her mom they should name her brother Chris. Haruka did seem pretty open to at least considering boy names from my own reality.

I really am affecting them… But it makes me think. How involved can I get? To go into a relationship myself here? When I really do not belong, becoming so connected to if I am able to get back home… It would be painful for whoever I left behind. I hope Megumi, Haruka, and Kazushi won't be taking it badly if I do manage to return. But… How long will I be here? I want to have a relationship and children someday.

And who knows what slight differences could affect me having children with someone of this reality? Much less if I do return and leave them here. Would they be able to go home with me? Or want to leave completely?

Perhaps I should just leave that off my hopes for right now. My last year of school had been bad enough when Chuck left for college, and then breaking it off right after Christmas due to the distance issue.

But oooooh! Just a couple more months and there will be a little baby here!

* * *

><p><em>Thanks to KuramaMustangElric and OhhTaylorJade.<em>


	22. Running From the Son of the Year

**Tuned In**

_"There are hundreds of different radio waves being broadcast all around you from distant stations. At any given instant, your office or car or living room is full of these radio waves. However if you turn on a radio, you can listen to only one frequency at a time; these other frequencies are not in phase with each other. Each station has a different frequency, a different energy. As a result, your radio can only be turned to one broadcast at a time. Likewise, in our universe we are tuned into the frequency that corresponds to physical reality. But there are an infinite number of parallel realities coexisting with us in the same room, although we cannot tune into them."_  
><em>Professor Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize in Physics (1979)<em>

_"However, what if we could tune into a parallel reality? What if?"_  
><em>Silverwing013, author on fanfiction (2011)<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Written Saturday, September 8, 1989 of this world<strong>

I received a phone call earlier today, of which Haruka told me about when she and Megumi came by after school. Back when I was volunteering at the hospital, well, talking to Shiori mostly. Even though I did visit others… Shiori is such a mothering lady. Well, anyway, they take down the numbers of those who volunteer. It seems Shiori is back in the hospital and was wondering why she had not seen me.

So all three of us (really, is there any stopping the excitement of Megumi?) went to visit her.

Shiori was happy to see me and to meet Haruka and Megumi. Megumi went nuts, singing songs and telling stories of all sorts and asking questions. It only made Shiori laugh. Her son had never been so eager when younger. That prompted Megumi into all sorts of stories of her brother yet to come.

I left the room to head to the bathroom and one of the nurses stopped me.

"I think Shiori was more worried about you than her last time she was here. Always fretting about how this is not home for you, with no family. Truly a kind lady. Makes it a pity she keeps returning."

It didn't really surprise me. I always knew she was a kind and mothering sort of person.

When I headed back to the room though…

There was another voice coming from inside her room.

I stood frozen outside the hospital door, as far out of sight as I could, as I heard the new voice and Megumi's chatting it up.

"Yeah, your mom's a nice lady! Kimbie always liked coming to visit her! Hey, do you know Kimbie? She's pretty awesome and really good at teaching me stuff. I'm going to teach all that stuff to my brother! My mom's going to have a brother! Do you have a brother? Kimbie does except he's far away. I'm going to let her share mine, don't tell her that!"

The other voice chuckled. "I do not have a brother. It is just mother and I. She has told me a little about your friend visiting her last time she was in the hospital."

"I hope you mom doesn't stay long. Then she can maybe get you a brother. Do you want to hear a song?"

I wanted to run in and tell Megumi to stop telling him things; that this was a boy I was just a little scared of…and this dealt with his mother's well-being. He would be very watchful of anything around his mother.

"No. Why not you tell me more about…your Kimbie?"

Haruka, god bless that woman's soul, interrupted the conversation at that point. "She has been in the restroom for a while now. Why don't we go get her Megumi? I am sure Shuichi and his mother would like to be alone for a while."

When they exited, I grabbed at Haruka and said I was ready to go. I took Megumi downstairs, while Haruka passed on the news of our departure to Shiori and her son.

Hell if I visit anytime soon. To be under Kurama's scrutiny around his mother? I sure as hell think not.

I wanted to look back up at Shiori's room as we left, but was scared to see anything more than curtains. I am certain Kurama watched us leaving, walking down the street. Last thing I wanted to do was to turn around and face the fox demon standing watch over his mother.

* * *

><p><em>Thanks to KuramaMustangElric and OhhTaylorJade.<em>


	23. With: Kazuma

**Tuned In**

_"There are hundreds of different radio waves being broadcast all around you from distant stations. At any given instant, your office or car or living room is full of these radio waves. However if you turn on a radio, you can listen to only one frequency at a time; these other frequencies are not in phase with each other. Each station has a different frequency, a different energy. As a result, your radio can only be turned to one broadcast at a time. Likewise, in our universe we are tuned into the frequency that corresponds to physical reality. But there are an infinite number of parallel realities coexisting with us in the same room, although we cannot tune into them."_  
><em>Professor Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize in Physics (1979)<em>

_"However, what if we could tune into a parallel reality? What if?"_  
><em>Silverwing013, author on fanfiction (2011)<em>

* * *

><p>It was not often he could boost a day out of school. While he did take pride in his group of friends, his gang, there was no reason he should skip school. None of them were the most…academic of students, but he took a bit of pride in his attendance. Blame his elder sister on that. But today was a day out of school, away from his friends, to be told something he already knew.<p>

However they did so, his parents did still manage to get in the required checkups for him. It was not much of a surprise for the young boy to find out his past growth during the last year had been a grand nine inches. He had already been taller than most his age and handled the height well, but this recent growth made him feel a bit…gangly next to his elder sister. At least she was enjoying it as he felt the need to make a spurt of fist fights with his friends after school, attempting to grow back into his height.

It made him feel stranger though. Since his height already made him stand out and he typically would be in school, the looks he was getting from the adults was causing him to feel like a reproached puppy.

And he wasn't a fan of dogs.

So the youngest of the Kuwabara family shoved his hands into his pockets and made his stroll down the sidewalk with as much pride in his chest as he could.

His own glee ruined the image he projected as a young cat crossed his path.

He leaned down, long legs following at his half bent form as he sent out the kitty call. "Here kitty, kitty, kitty. Come here. Here kitty, kitty, kitty."

The small white and brown cat peered back at him, head tilted in consideration. "Merow?"

He spotted the plain blue collar around its neck, a small tag dangling off center, and upped his kitty call. "Yes, come here kitty, kitty, kitty. Someone's missing you. Here kitty, kitty, kitty."

Eyeing the hand slowly edging closer to it, the cat lengthened its neck out a little and sniffed cautiously. Keeping still, Kazuma readied himself to flipping his hand around to grab the lost cat if needed. It was not needed. The young cat licked the offered hand and rubbed its head, angling for a rub down.

He grinned and began scratching gently around the cat's ears, then under its chin, causing the young cat to close its eyes and purr at the attention. While the cat was absorbed under the ministrations of his fingers, Kazuma took the time to admire the pretty young thing. It was a rarity of a cat, holding a long tail, swishing lazily back and forth. The deep color of the brown gave it a chocolate look, the white staying apart nicely, rather than being mixed in with the second color, the contrast beautiful.

"Aren't you a gorgeous little thing," he commented as he slowly scooped it up with is other hand. His fingers were still busy under its chin. The young cat did not seem to mind being picked up and actually leaned in to rub against his chest. The tail tickled under his chin and he grinned. "And rare with that long tail of yours, ain't cha?"

The cat shifted its head under his fingers, pushing up against them with its head. "Murow," it replied slowly. He followed the cat's lead and stroked his fingers down the length of the cat, a wide smile on his face as it arched with the touch. Kazuma rubbed down its long tail, a bit disappointed with the cat twitched it out of his grasp.

"All right." He went back to stroking down the cat's back. "Now where do you belong? Someone has got to be missing you…"

The young cat stated its dislike as he removed his fingers to take a good look at what was written on the tags. "Shh. I gotta find out who owns you. Huh. Well, an address works too." The cat closed its eyes as he went back to petting it. "You're only a few blocks away. You like that?"

And so Kazuma Kuwabara meandered down the street, muttering little admiring things to the small cat as the cat began to get restless in his arms. At some point, it clambered up to his shoulder and he feared it would jump off, but instead it let out a small sneeze at his hair before pawing at it.

"Huh. Guess no one's home right now." He lowered his hand from knocking the door and went back to petting the cat. "Just you and me then gorgeous."

Plucking out a long strand of grass, he sat down and proceeded to taunt the cat with the grass blade. Tail twitching eagerly, the young cat pounced. He grinned, eyeing the long tail with glee.

"Hello?"

Startled, he dropped the blade and looked up to see three people looking down at him. The smallest, a young girl, swooped down to pet the cat. Of the other two, one seemed to be the mother. The other… Kazuma blinked at her. She had such wide eyes and light brown hair that appeared natural and a lighter skin color than any person he had seen before. It wasn't pale, she was just…different. Actually…she was rather pretty.

He stood quickly. "Hey! I um…found your cat a few blocks away."

"Naughty Cookie," said the little girl playing with the cat on the grass. "What's with you leaving and exploring lately?"

"So… It is your cat, right?"

The mom shifted her bag around her large stomach and pointed over to the other girl. He brought his attention onto the other girl as the mom bent down with her daughter. Realizing he was staring, Kazuma searched his mind for something to say.

"You're a fan of cats, right?"

He deflated as the girl took lead of the conversation. "Uh, right. That obvious?"

She nodded and he grinned a bit at himself.

"I don't mean to be rude, but where are you from?"

"Past Russia," she replied. "Most people here haven't heard of it."

"Yeah? I kind of want to look it up," he murmured to himself. He smiled brightly. "Most be a real smart one to be studying abroad here. I'm glad you could. Where do you go? I'm just over at Sarayashiki Junior High school…only a little ways from high school age!"

He laughed a bit nervously. Like he would be able to attend with his grades, but he did not want to seem too young. Kazuma paused a bit to scratch his head. Why was he acting like he had something to prove? Normally, he only did this in a fight. And with a lot less nerves.

"Oh! Right. My name is Kazuma Kuwabara. Most just call me Kuwabara…"

A sudden weight grabbed onto his legs and he glanced down to find the young girl clutching at him. "Hi Kuwabara! I'm Megumi! And that's my mom and Kimbie! You wanna hear a song? I know lots! What about 'Daichi'?"

"But Megumi." The other girl leaned down toward the little girl. "Did you forget about the noddle meal I was going to show you today?"

The young girl gasped. "Oh yeah! No I didn't! Come on Kimbie! Show me, hurry inside!"

Megumi shot off into the house and Kazuma laughed at her.

"Megumi! Careful in the kitchen!" The mother hurried after her daughter, but smiled back at him. "Nice to meet you. Thanks for bringing her cat back."

"I should probably head inside before Megumi burns the place down," the other girl laughed. Kazuma glanced back at her; a little disappointed he had not been able to speak to the owner of the cat longer.

"Er… Would it be okay if I came back?" He blurted the question out before she could disappear into the house. She seemed startled and he backtracked. "You know? To see Cookie? She's gorgeous."

"Oh, well, sure, I suppose. I'll see you after school then?"

He brightened. "Yeah, tomorrow! After school!"

The door shut behind her and he felt the goofy grin fall onto his face. He leaned over to pet the cat, rubbing up against his leg. "What do you think Cookie? Think I could get my first date with her? Maybe? She seems pretty cool, laid back, got some smarts on her…"

The cat peered up at him. "Nyah."

* * *

><p><em>Thanks to KuramaMustangElric and gender-bender-lover-101.<em>


	24. Farther Involvement, Less Worry

**Tuned In**

_"There are hundreds of different radio waves being broadcast all around you from distant stations. At any given instant, your office or car or living room is full of these radio waves. However if you turn on a radio, you can listen to only one frequency at a time; these other frequencies are not in phase with each other. Each station has a different frequency, a different energy. As a result, your radio can only be turned to one broadcast at a time. Likewise, in our universe we are tuned into the frequency that corresponds to physical reality. But there are an infinite number of parallel realities coexisting with us in the same room, although we cannot tune into them."_  
><em>Professor Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize in Physics (1979)<em>

_"However, what if we could tune into a parallel reality? What if?"_  
><em>Silverwing013, author on fanfiction (2011)<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Written Sunday, October 14, 1989 of this world<strong>

It's a boy!

His name is Shigeru. Kazushi, Haruka, and Megumi are all over the moon about the little guy.

Although I have been coming to accept this, it may be quite a bit longer until I can possibly return home. Kazushi may be in love with his work, but admits he will be cooing over his new son too often to get anything done.

I'll live, but such things like this make me think of my own brother and family.

It was entertaining when we got Haruka and Shigeru home from the hospital. A crazed mess was what it was with everyone getting the baby comfortable. And in the middle of us getting Shigeru comfortable yesterday, Kazuma showed up like he normally does at some point after school to play with Cookie. Megumi dragged him right inside, showing off her new brother and trying to include him into the celebrations.

He was excited, true. He is always willing to put up with Megumi's demands and listen to her longer than most will. But I felt a little sorry for him.

Personally, I am looking forward to the day when Kazuma and I run across each other at school. It has yet to happen. Keiko will come to the library a few times, but Natsuko comes far more often. Yusuke comes as well and I can sometimes get him into an activity with teaching involved, but usually he only comes in to avoid Keiko. The roof or the library to avoid his childhood friend…he told me so himself. As for Kazuma, he has yet to come into the library to find out the school I attend.

Perhaps he'll find the need to visit 'Ms. Powell' when Yusuke is dead and he needs to pass a science test with at least a 50 percent.

Should I say nothing and just watch him freak out as he slowly puts it together? Or should I say something to get an interesting reaction?

* * *

><p><em>Thanks to KuramaMustangElric, OhhTaylorJade (times two), gender-bender-lover-101, starchilds (times two), and RayneRodgers20.<em>


	25. Story Beginning, In His Time of Dying

**Tuned In**

_"There are hundreds of different radio waves being broadcast all around you from distant stations. At any given instant, your office or car or living room is full of these radio waves. However if you turn on a radio, you can listen to only one frequency at a time; these other frequencies are not in phase with each other. Each station has a different frequency, a different energy. As a result, your radio can only be turned to one broadcast at a time. Likewise, in our universe we are tuned into the frequency that corresponds to physical reality. But there are an infinite number of parallel realities coexisting with us in the same room, although we cannot tune into them."_  
><em>Professor Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize in Physics (1979)<em>

_"However, what if we could tune into a parallel reality? What if?"_  
><em>Silverwing013, author on fanfiction (2011)<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Written Tuesday, December 11, 1989 of this world<strong>

When yesterday had been stretching into ten long days of Yusuke not attending school, I knew today would be interesting. It would be the day.

He must have hidden from Keiko's wrath only on the school roof, because I never saw him. The news was around though. The young punk showed his face after ten days, so people noticed and talked. I had hoped he would have visited the library. I don't know why. What would I say or do? It was even more awkward as today was a day that Keiko came up for a quick question on her science class.

I wanted to tell her it would be fine, but that would seem way too strange. Before even the reason for me saying so has happened.

Kazushi exploded when he found out, when Mister Takenaka called me up about the news of a Sarayashiki student. Something along the lines of how dare Spirit World drag a dead boy back to life and force the young kid to work for them in something as dangerous as spirit and demon issues.

I…I just got back from the wake. It was…weird. Not something I really wished to attend. Most at a wake cannot believe the person in question is really dead and I know for sure he is dead but it doesn't matter. At least the other teachers took my feelings of awkward as never having been to a Japanese wake before. Which, that part really did not help with my feelings.

I saw Keiko crying with Natsuko and her other friend, but steered myself away. So awkward.

Same when Kazuma came crashing through yelling and bawling.

It was made more awkward for me as I knew Yusuke was a ghost somewhere up above with Botan, watching this happen.

I kind of hope… Well… I did it with the intention of Yusuke watching… But I don't know if he saw… I made sure no one else around me saw…

I set a paper football between the bowl of oranges and the picture frame of Yusuke. "Kazuma isn't the only one that needs to finish something for you."

* * *

><p><em>Thanks to RayneRodgers20, OhhTaylorJade, gender-bender-lover-101, KuramaMustangElric, and starchilds.<br>_


	26. Do I Judge You?

**Tuned In**

_"There are hundreds of different radio waves being broadcast all around you from distant stations. At any given instant, your office or car or living room is full of these radio waves. However if you turn on a radio, you can listen to only one frequency at a time; these other frequencies are not in phase with each other. Each station has a different frequency, a different energy. As a result, your radio can only be turned to one broadcast at a time. Likewise, in our universe we are tuned into the frequency that corresponds to physical reality. But there are an infinite number of parallel realities coexisting with us in the same room, although we cannot tune into them."_  
><em>Professor Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize in Physics (1979)<em>

_"However, what if we could tune into a parallel reality? What if?"_  
><em>Silverwing013, author on fanfiction (2011)<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Written Friday, December 14, 1989 of this world<strong>

I suppose yeah, someone else caring about Yusuke as the wake would have been noticed and commented on… Apparently Botan noticed. At least, according to the god child who deemed it necessary to visit and piss off Kazushi…again. Haruka wasn't pleased either. The two merely told Megumi to take her brother to his room and demanded to stay during Koenma's visit.

So, yeah. Koenma gave me…a spirit egg?

Well, after he took Kazushi, Haruka, and I up to Spirit World. Then he went through his worries.

He was worried about my closeness to Yusuke. As though Yusuke was close to me. Really, the boy only saw me as an escape from Keiko. It was I who only wished to make comment on him doing so…knowing what I did of his story.

It apparently had to do with me being from a whole 'nother reality as well. He didn't know if he could trust me, so this was his test.

I was the one who got angry at this point.

In any world, there were good and bad people. And people change. If he wanted to judge me, he could do so on his own observations, not through such an extreme means. Someone who saved your rear one day, could have been 'bad' before and eaten before they could save your rear. People change! You don't just…!

Which then he asked me about Yusuke.

"What? Did you already judge him early? That young boy who just saved a young child!"

I um…ran off with my golden egg and chucked it down a portal.

He wasn't the only one with an open mouth. I am never going to let Haruka and Kazushi live those faces down. Much less Kazushi.

"Did you just throw a spiritual egg into the Demon World?" Koenma shrieked and hearing him shriek made me laugh. Then it caused him to make odd faces from me laughing about it.

"Guess so," I told him. "Gunna judge me from this one single moment in time?"

My brother always told me I was a rude shit when others did not have my same openness toward the goodness of others. Hypocrite actions he started calling it as he got older. But well…too many always were fast to judge my father for leaving the family… I hate people who are like that.

I can't believe I just acted like a child in front of the prince of Spirit World, behaving like a rude shit! I am such a dead girl! Why the hell did I do that?

* * *

><p><em>Thanks to KuramaMustangElric.<em>


	27. Christmastime Offers

**Tuned In**

_"There are hundreds of different radio waves being broadcast all around you from distant stations. At any given instant, your office or car or living room is full of these radio waves. However if you turn on a radio, you can listen to only one frequency at a time; these other frequencies are not in phase with each other. Each station has a different frequency, a different energy. As a result, your radio can only be turned to one broadcast at a time. Likewise, in our universe we are tuned into the frequency that corresponds to physical reality. But there are an infinite number of parallel realities coexisting with us in the same room, although we cannot tune into them."_  
><em>Professor Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize in Physics (1979)<em>

_"However, what if we could tune into a parallel reality? What if?"_  
><em>Silverwing013, author on fanfiction (2011)<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Written Friday, December 21, 1989 of this world<strong>

So I write again today because something happened I did not expect. Turns out Cookie is going to have some kittens. She's been searching around the house and I have had cats before. I can recognize nesting. Just normally, I have never seen one getting ready for kittens this young.

Kazuma freaked in excitement when he found out and insisted he and I go shopping for things.

I had to laugh because I made him go over the moon in his cat loving excitement, offering him to have one of the kittens after Cookie had her litter. He went super nuts then, buying what he could and asking me for my opinion on what he was getting.

It got a little strange as he kept up on insistence on buying everything, both for his possible kitten and for Cookie.

"What are you doing on Christmas?"

I replied I was celebrating it like I did back home, spending time with Kazushi and the rest, the closest family I had here. He seemed rather disappointed, but nodded and smiled on my own Christmas traditions from home.

"Do you think… Would you want to go see a movie or something after all that, at night? I mean, we both like cats and all, but I was thinking you and I could…"

He trailed off, looking very much nervous and it finally clicked for me. All the insistence on buying everything, feeling the need to come visiting so often outside of his love of cats, and the meaning of Christmas Day for Japan…

Kazuma was asking me out for a date.

Well, much to the chagrin of most my friends who enjoyed this…reality as much as I did back home…he was my favorite. All the main four had their points, but I always really felt Kazuma was the most relatable and likable. He may have come off silly at times, but all his outbursts were usually what he and anyone else were thinking. Plus, he kept everything light hearted rather than too serious… He had a real heart of gold in caring for others and a real sweet guy.

But…I mean…

What?

Did he just awkwardly ask me out for a date?

"I know, I know," he hurriedly said at my stunned pause. "There's an age gap, but really, things like that don't matter! Not in the long run! Four years is nothing when we're older, even if it may be an issue now with you being eighteen and me only…fourteen."

Oh, so very very very… Eight verys, I will cheat. Very awkward and all sorts of uncomfortable.

* * *

><p><em>Thanks to KuramaMustangElric, OhhTaylorJade (times two), and starchilds (times two).<em>


	28. Hitting a Teacher

**Tuned In**

_"There are hundreds of different radio waves being broadcast all around you from distant stations. At any given instant, your office or car or living room is full of these radio waves. However if you turn on a radio, you can listen to only one frequency at a time; these other frequencies are not in phase with each other. Each station has a different frequency, a different energy. As a result, your radio can only be turned to one broadcast at a time. Likewise, in our universe we are tuned into the frequency that corresponds to physical reality. But there are an infinite number of parallel realities coexisting with us in the same room, although we cannot tune into them."_  
><em>Professor Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize in Physics (1979)<em>

_"However, what if we could tune into a parallel reality? What if?"_  
><em>Silverwing013, author on fanfiction (2011)<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Written Monday, February 4, 1990 of this world<strong>

Weird. My last entry had something to do with him too. Ah well.

I'm still giggling in evil glee though.

Kazuma finally discovered I work at Sarayashiki Junior High. Walked in asking where Ms. Powell was and looked taken aback at seeing me. Then he asked me if I knew were Ms. Powell was and I pointed at myself. "You got her Kazuma. My last name is Powell."

His face turned, I swear, every shade of red in the Crayola 164 coloring box complete with the crayon sharpener in the back.

I just love Kazuma!

He stuttered about hitting on a teacher and raced off before I could explain I was merely a teacher aid.

All sorts of entertaining! I just gotta love that guy.

Hmmm… What else is new from the last couple of months? Ah, Kazushi went back to work. At least during the day hours since he is still very attached to his new little son. Better than only weekends like he was doing previously. He may be a die hard worker, but he is a very amazing father.

Says he has a new theory because of something he noticed with me. And he isn't giving up what he noticed. Sigh.

I mean, there isn't anything special about me. I'm just some side character of the story. Er, now anyway. Weird to consider myself part of YuYu Hakusho.

I'm really wondering when Yusuke will be coming back. It should be getting close.

* * *

><p><em>Thanks to RayneRodgers20, KuramaMustangElric, starchilds, and OhhTalyorJade.<em>**  
><strong>


	29. Laser Light Show

**Tuned In**

_"There are hundreds of different radio waves being broadcast all around you from distant stations. At any given instant, your office or car or living room is full of these radio waves. However if you turn on a radio, you can listen to only one frequency at a time; these other frequencies are not in phase with each other. Each station has a different frequency, a different energy. As a result, your radio can only be turned to one broadcast at a time. Likewise, in our universe we are tuned into the frequency that corresponds to physical reality. But there are an infinite number of parallel realities coexisting with us in the same room, although we cannot tune into them."_  
><em>Professor Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize in Physics (1979)<em>

_"However, what if we could tune into a parallel reality? What if?"_  
><em>Silverwing013, author on fanfiction (2011)<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Written Monday, March 5, 1990 of this world<strong>

Oh lord! Their faces!

Everyone's faces today! Yusuke Urameshi is back! Everyone be scared. Hahaha!

I felt extremely special since he decided to hide from Keiko in the library. He didn't say anything but I wonder since Botan saw me with the paper football… Anyway he was curious on what I was setting up in the library, so I helped show him.

His whole face lite up when I told him to point a laser light at the mirror by the window, reflecting off another, and making a red dot show up on my face.

I showed him how I used the angles of the mirror to get them like that and he grew more excited about the laser light he held in his hand.

"Think I could shoot it at someone entering the library from all the way back here without them seeing me?"

"Probably," I answered.

That boy was off with a cheeky grin, gathering up all my mirrors, propping them up, measuring the angle with my compass, eyeing the shelves for possible places to set the next mirror, and constantly running back and forth with the laser light to see if he got it right.

Huh. He's using it to get into trouble, playful little boy trouble, but he's acted like a total scientist with all the testing and experimentation on what does and doesn't work with the mirrors and lights.

"Hey, Tancho. Stand here," Yusuke demanded happily with a twinkle in his eyes. He handed over the laser light. "Point and shoot it."

With that, he jogged off to the front of the library and I did as he asked (told). After a moment, his footsteps stopped and I heard him letting off a crow of celebration. He hurried back.

"Just so you know, you girls use mirrors incorrectly! I'm gunna get Keiko and show her how they should really be used! Plus she can't be all unfun with studying if she can't see," he added to himself as he hurried away.

Yeah… Still not the brightest guy… He must not have met Goki and learned his lesson about people having two eyes to see with, not just one…

Well, I let him have his small amount of fun. Yusuke did forget he and Keiko were different heights. The most he did was annoy her in how he got her to follow him to the library, then trying to shot a red light at her.

"Eleven mirrors? Ms. Powell, you may not have Yusuke properly learning, but you certainly have that difficult punk doing things." Keiko seemed to be highly impressed, but she sighed. Thankfully, this was said after the learning avoider had left the library. "I wish I could get him to do school things a little bit."

"Yusuke is just a doer. He like doing things and the way most schools teach don't fit him. Besides Keiko, you at least motivate him enough to come to school."

Considering Yusuke's feelings on school, Keiko does well enough to not allow him to give up completely.

* * *

><p><em>Thank you to KuramaMustangElric, midnightsprite, and starchilds.<em>


	30. With: Kurama

**Tuned In**

_"There are hundreds of different radio waves being broadcast all around you from distant stations. At any given instant, your office or car or living room is full of these radio waves. However if you turn on a radio, you can listen to only one frequency at a time; these other frequencies are not in phase with each other. Each station has a different frequency, a different energy. As a result, your radio can only be turned to one broadcast at a time. Likewise, in our universe we are tuned into the frequency that corresponds to physical reality. But there are an infinite number of parallel realities coexisting with us in the same room, although we cannot tune into them."_  
><em>Professor Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize in Physics (1979)<em>

_"However, what if we could tune into a parallel reality? What if?"_  
><em>Silverwing013, author on fanfiction (2011)<em>

* * *

><p>Having been a few days ago, Kurama felt a very gracious thank you was needed. He left the store with a new game, meant for building strategies within battle, hoping the young detective would find it both enjoyable and enlightening. A bit expensive and not what he would normally choose to spend money on, but it looked good. Perhaps he should test out the strategies on this game himself…<p>

He walked his way down the street, rushing a bit as the end of the school day ticked closer. Kurama smiled to himself, reminiscing about the young detective who gave him a chance and saved his mother's life. And his own life, even if he had already lived the course of one life before.

Kurama stood at the school gate, waiting to spot the green uniform in a sea of blue. The bell rang and he straightened up, finding the boy sulking from behind the school, making his way through the other students. It was lucky that the boy managed to go to class long enough to put together light and spirit energy in reflecting off mirrors.

He lifted his hand in greeting. Yusuke's face brightened and he jogged forward with a loud call. "Hey you!" Shifting just inside the gate, Kurama stood to the side so other students could pass. More than a few shot him a look in seeing Yusuke greeting him so warmly. The cheeky boy reached him. "So how's your mother doing, eh?"

"Very well. The doctors were confused on how well her health turned around, but let her come back home yesterday." Yusuke grinned with a chuckle at the news. "I brought you this as a thank you gift."

The boy blinked, stunned. "I don't need no gift. I just jumped in without thinking. Besides, what about you and that stomach?"

"Demon," Kurama reminded him. He shuffled to the side a bit more, watching the students passing by. Holding up the gift again, he said, "I insist."

Letting loose a big sigh, the boy took a peek inside the bag and made a face. "Just like Keiko. Video games aren't meant to be like school. You keep the thing. Seems more like you than me. I don't go to a smart school and don't really like this crappy one here as it is."

"Sarayashiki Junior High is a decent school Yusuke," Kurama admonished him. He let the bag hang next to his side, planning on taking a look at it later that night. Yusuke only rolled his eyes at the school comment.

"Yusuke," a new voice shouted out. An older girl not in uniform, but dressed nicely in a loosely knit short sleeved shirt over a plain white and black slacks, rushed up. She grinned at him. "Favor? I gotta check Natsuko really knows a math equation and I thought if she could do it for you, then she will know it in any stressful moment."

Blinking in astonishment, Kurama stared at the girl, recognizing the older teenager. It was the foreign girl his mother had so liked visiting her in the hospital. His mother had taking a liking to her, growing attached from the girl's lack of mother here in Japan. Kurama wasn't so trusting. The girl looked more than just foreign, she appeared of demonic coloring with that skin tone and hair color. Despite researching other countries, he could not find one that had people that resembled the girl.

She was here, at this school the whole time?

"Why should I," Yusuke grumbled loudly at her request.

"Because I'm awesome," she snipped back with a large grin. "And you can have first run of my toys tomorrow any time you wanna hide from Keiko."

Sensing she had the boy, which Kurama suspected she very well did, the girl continued with a smile.

"All you gotta do is yell the word 'path' at her and she's right there." Pointing through the students, the girl spun to duck behind Yusuke. Kurama eyed the girl's back, wondering if she had any clue on whom he was as he took a long look at her. His eyes narrowed. Her energy seemed closest to human, but that wasn't to say it was human. It was the closest he could place it. Was it her so called foreign nature or was she a demon or spirit entity putting up a human front?

"Path!"

"Pythagorean! Tri, it's hip to make it square," sang out a girl's voice. The girl paused, catching sight of who called out the word she was to respond to. Then she took in another breath. "A, b, the path is there! C!"

The female student peered with a mad glance at the foreign girl hiding. "Tancho, that's just mean! I freaked out seeing that Urameshi was the one to call— Eep!"

The girl squeaked, nervous about something. "I…I…I'm sorry Urameshi! I wasn't yelling at you…"

"And now you could sing that in any situation, right Natsuko?"

The girl blinked behind her glasses. "Um…I suppose so? Um…yeah! Yeah I could! But that was still mean Tancho!"

The Sarayashiki Junior High girl rushed off through the gates as Tancho laughed. "Thanks Yusuke."

"I'm ditching science tomorrow," he informed her. "And Rat Face's class."

"I'll have it set up all day, don't worry," Tancho assured him. "After your excitement over the laser light and mirrors one, I don't think I could stop you from plowing your way through Yusuke."

The detective grinned. Kurama watched carefully, noting how this girl had set up a learning situation that taught Yusuke just what he needed in the fight against Hiei. Was she aware? Foresight? Visiting his mother before all of this happened to meet up with Yusuke, the young detective. A connection with Yusuke, his mother…tying them together before they had even met each other?

Or with that odd energy…

Kurama narrowed his eyes at her.

With that odd energy, was she the cause of their meeting?

"Pardon," he nudged into the conversation politely. Yusuke and Tancho turned to look at him. She blinked and appeared most sorry.

"I am so sorry for ignoring you. I was excited about testing Natsuko on her Pythagorean song." She frowned, looking carefully at him. "Who are you?"

Kurama smiled, putting his hand out to shake hers. She did so and his smile grew. "My family name is Minamino. Shuichi."

The older girl blinked, paling as he saw the realization flash across her face. Feigning nervousness at how she took his introduction, Kurama scratched the back of his neck with his other hand. The girl went to jerk her hand away and he tightened his gasp, still shaking her hand. Kurama watched as the fear grow on her face. Interesting. Why the fear of him? Unless…she knew.

"And your name?"

She bit her lip. "Ms. Powell," she whispered.

It seemed she did know about—

"How is your mother doing," she blurted out. "I'm sorry for not visiting, but how is she doing?"

"Eh!" Yusuke seemed surprised. "You've met Ku—"

"She's well," he cut into Yusuke's words. "Just out of the hospital."

So her fear wasn't because she knew about him, but because she did not know how his mother was. Kurama relaxed his grip, letting got. It still left her energy under his question, but he could leave it alone for a while…knowing she was no longer trying to engrain herself into his mother's life.

Still…

It was odd how well this stand out girl was so involved with people of significant power.

"Dude," Yusuke chuckled. Kurama took his eyes off the unusual girl rushing away from the school gate.

"You'd think if the number one punk didn't scare her, nothing would. You're doing wonders to the scary rumors of me and 'my gang'. As if. Gangs of friends are more Kuwabara's style," Yusuke snorted.

Kurama smiled back at the boy and tucked a strand of black hair back behind his ear.

* * *

><p><em>Thanks to KuramaMustangElric, starchilds, and OhhTaylorJade (times two).<em>


	31. Did the Freak Doctor Visit Me?

**Tuned In**

_"There are hundreds of different radio waves being broadcast all around you from distant stations. At any given instant, your office or car or living room is full of these radio waves. However if you turn on a radio, you can listen to only one frequency at a time; these other frequencies are not in phase with each other. Each station has a different frequency, a different energy. As a result, your radio can only be turned to one broadcast at a time. Likewise, in our universe we are tuned into the frequency that corresponds to physical reality. But there are an infinite number of parallel realities coexisting with us in the same room, although we cannot tune into them."_  
><em>Professor Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize in Physics (1979)<em>

_"However, what if we could tune into a parallel reality? What if?"  
>Silverwing013, author on fanfiction (2011)<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Written Wednesday, June 13, 1990 of this world<strong>

I didn't think of this before, but now that I have realized… I'm not a fan of Genkai. She must be training Yusuke for his required half year because he has been missing the past almost three months from school.

That is not good for me to feel that way toward her. Because Kazushi and everyone is going to visit her. Since he is psychic, even if suppressed, he wishes to keep an eye on his children. We're all going to see her in a couple of weeks.

I suppose I really don't hate her, but well… Yusuke is still a kid and… Okay, I knew this was going to happen and at least Genkai is helping him with…

Okay, I just hate the situation.

And oh! This is the best, the funniest! Kazushi finally spoke up on what he 'noticed' about me. He says that when I'm sleeping or reading, things just show up. Things just show up! Really!

I asked what sorts of 'things' and he said it was things related to what I was reading or sleeping. Apparently, he would ask me about my dreams only when he or Haruka noticed sceneries and peoples around my bedroom.

But, then… It's not too funny when one of the people they described from my dream sounds an awful like my mom.

Why couldn't I be awake or aware of things going on around me when I'm dreaming or reading? Man… It would be amazing to see my mom again. But…how are things showing up around me? And…are they real? Is it really my mom? Or just what I see in my dreams?

Oh man… This just messes with all sorts of things with me and that radio station. Here I've been here for a good year and slowly getting used to life here, but then… Was it the radio station? Was it me? Can Kazushi get me back? Or maybe…maybe…I can get myself back…somehow…

But then…everyone else here?

Argh!

I thought I got over this…

* * *

><p><em>Thanks to KuramaMustangElric, OhhTaylorJade, starchilds, and Amekoryuu.<br>_


	32. With: Yusuke

**Tuned In**

_"There are hundreds of different radio waves being broadcast all around you from distant stations. At any given instant, your office or car or living room is full of these radio waves. However if you turn on a radio, you can listen to only one frequency at a time; these other frequencies are not in phase with each other. Each station has a different frequency, a different energy. As a result, your radio can only be turned to one broadcast at a time. Likewise, in our universe we are tuned into the frequency that corresponds to physical reality. But there are an infinite number of parallel realities coexisting with us in the same room, although we cannot tune into them."_  
><em>Professor Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize in Physics (1979)<em>

_"However, what if we could tune into a parallel reality? What if?"_  
><em>Silverwing013, author on fanfiction (2011)<em>

* * *

><p>Grumbling, he turned over in his pallet in an attempt to fall back asleep. But the damage was done already.<p>

"Even on my one free day, the old biddy still ruins my day," he groaned.

Yusuke sat up and stretched his arms upward, still feeling the soreness of sleeping on the hot beds of coal. He winced in memory. Master Genkai took some serious pleasure in waking him up if he failed to sense her in time. At least that was last week's training and most of the burns on his back were healed…mostly.

"Damn grandma."

Shifting up, he rubbed at his bed head, fallen free of its usual jelled style. He shuffled along to the toilet and then grabbed a piece of fruit. Making cereal was just too much work for Yusuke, he preferred the grab and go.

"Again!"

He winced at the call, frantically glancing around before realizing the voice came from outside. Puzzled, he made his way slowly along the hallway, still munching, as he slid open the doorway. He blinked at what he saw, and then shrugged; glad he was no part of it and shuffled down the stairs to watch as he ate.

"Lock it into place! No movement! We're focusing on the number of images you can project to real life before practicing movement! I don't care if they aren't plain objects like we have been focusing on the last few weeks. This is for the next part, but you are not allowed to make them move!"

Striding around the area, the older woman strode around the people standing, frozen. She leaned forward toward one and figured the cloth the person wore. Then she touched up at the foreign looking boy's neckline.

"Hmph! Well, they may not be moving but you gave them life anyway! This one's breathing. Looks like the next part of your training will flow into what you are doing nicely. Seems like from Kazushi you were able to anyway, but not controlled at all. Next one girl. This one is number 28, half of what you said your class had back home."

Yusuke took another bit into his apple and tossed the core onto the ground. Genkai was making her way back through all the foreign people seemingly frozen in her yard as she made it back to her other student. Even though this had always been the only day of rest in the week, Yusuke knew she had taken up another on this day. The old lady loved comparing his laziness to her other student, even if done for a favor.

He smirked. Ha, he thought to himself. No wonder the other student wasn't as lazy and worked on their studies outside of the temple. Like he was of that sort. Training was tedious and boring to him. He'd rather just go out and do things.

"Um, next one… Michael Meade. Big guy, sturdy, he was a football player, linebacker, large hands, somewhat smaller feet than you would expect, a good height of 6 foot and 3 inches, short brown hair, closely cropped, brown eyes, squashed nose from an injury on field, really loved the subject social studies, and looked really good and liked wearing what we called as mama boy sweaters… Enough?"

The older lady nodded at the girl. "Again!"

The girl's eyes fluttered for a second. Snapping them open, the form of the person she described simply became. Yusuke's mouth dropped wide open.

"Holy shit that's awesome!"

The old lady heaved out an annoyed breath of air at his interruption as the girl suddenly turned, eyes wide at him. Ignoring the look, he bounced up and jogged cheekily over to the pair. Stopping to study the foreign guy who just formed, he poked at the cheek of this Michael Meade. He snapped his head over to her, eyes sparkling in excitement.

"Make a double me! Man that'd be great to have some sort of double to—"

Master Genkai bashed a firm fist over his head.

"No."

"Oh come on," he wheedled loudly to the girl. "I'm one of your favorite students, aren't I Cho?"

"Student," Genkai questioned curiously. "You're not more than eighteen Kimberly. How are you teacher to my dimwit?"

The girl fiddled with her dirty blonde hair up in a tail. "I'm more like a…teacher's aid of some sort to Sarayashiki Junior High. So, you doing okay these last few months Yusuke? I've missed you sulking around the library avoiding Keiko."

"The old hag is brutal! She made me— Ow!"

"Watch your mouth dimwit, I'm standing right here." She glared at him and he scowled back at her.

"Grandma."

"Wiseass."

"Hey Yusuke," Kimberly interrupted. "Choice between training and school. Which."

He pondered over the choice. "I dunno Cho, people nag at me at either one. At least you don't, but… I do usually get a nag free day here… I get beat up all the time so I gotta miss Kuwabara's ugly mug… Then again, I sure as hell don't miss people insisting I sit still and listen to them yammering on… Get me Kuwabara to beat up in a real fight over this training shit and I think I'll be good up here!"

He beamed at Kimberly.

"Training shit?" Genkai shifted her shoulders up. "This training shit made me wipe the floor with you jackass in the fight we have every week! I suppose that makes you training shit's asswipe!"

He scowled.

"Er…" Kimberly stepped forward between the pair, facing him. "Work hard to change that. And um, if it makes you feel better Yusuke, I'm always going to be…training shit's asswipe. I'm not really a fighter, you know?"

He blinked at her and then cracked up laughing.

"Oh man! Damn it's funny to hear you swear!"

Snickering some more, Yusuke enjoyed his glee of hearing a teacher swear.

Master Genkai turned to the somewhat amused Kimberly. "So girl. Who was the fattest kid in your class?"

"Ha," Yusuke said. "Like that would harm me! Teacher saying shit's asswipe… Too great!"

He burst into laughter again. Feeling a poke in his side, he glanced up with a grin to see Kimberly. The foreign girl pointed and he turned around.

"Gah!" Jolting backwards, he fell hard onto his rear. Wide eyed, the boy stared up at Keiko glaring at him, hands on her hips. "Keiko! I wasn't doing anything wrong!"

He heard laughter behind him and chanced a quick look, planning on telling them Keiko was scary and he wasn't whipped or…

But he blinked, confused at the severity of Kimberly and the old lady's laughter. Kimberly was more of a snickering, trying to cover it with a hand over her mouth.

"That's… That's not really…her! Oh lord Yusuke! Your face! Too funny!"

Turning his head back around, he slowly realized the angry Keiko wasn't moving.

"Hey!"

* * *

><p><em>Thanks to KuramaMustangElric, starchilds, OhhTaylorJade, and Otaku-neku.<br>_


	33. With: Keiko

**Tuned In**

_"There are hundreds of different radio waves being broadcast all around you from distant stations. At any given instant, your office or car or living room is full of these radio waves. However if you turn on a radio, you can listen to only one frequency at a time; these other frequencies are not in phase with each other. Each station has a different frequency, a different energy. As a result, your radio can only be turned to one broadcast at a time. Likewise, in our universe we are tuned into the frequency that corresponds to physical reality. But there are an infinite number of parallel realities coexisting with us in the same room, although we cannot tune into them."_  
><em>Professor Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize in Physics (1979)<em>

_"However, what if we could tune into a parallel reality? What if?"_  
><em>Silverwing013, author on fanfiction (2011)<em>

* * *

><p>In a rush, Keiko hurried down the hall, pausing as she heard a voice call out.<p>

"Still here Yukimura?"

She turned to the voice to see Mr. Iwamoto.

"Go home and study. Standardized exams are coming up. You could make it to the regional top 10."

Still feeling rushed to get her paperwork done for student council, Keiko said so. "I'll go after I've filed these papers for the student council newsletter."

She turned back around, walking off to get it done. The teacher's voice echoed down the empty hallway, calling after her. "Good. And one more thing—STOP associating with Urameshi. Understand?"

Keiko whipped around at his words, scowling. Mr. Iwamoto was already walking away though. She stuck out her tongue at his retreating backside. "Riiight."

Shortly before she reached the room; Natsuko came rushing around the corner, humming a bright melody. "Oh Keiko! You're still here! I just finished up my big math review for the exams with Tancho." Her friend bounced forward, clutching at her bag and beaming. As a testament to her word, the older foreign girl acting as a teacher's aid came from around the same corner. "Are you almost done? We could walk home tonight after all."

"I've still got to file these papers for the newsletter," Keiko informed her. "Sorry Natsuko."

"Tomorrow then! I should head home to finish up for my other classes. Thanks Tancho! See you tomorrow!" Her friend waved cheerfully, rushing off again to the same melody being hummed.

"You still bothered by Yusuke ditching you this weekend?"

Surprised, Keiko turned to see Tancho still standing there.

"You only seem to look annoyed when it comes to Yusuke," the older girl pointed out.

"Just someone speaking poorly of him," Keiko admitted.

Tancho smiled at that and shook her head. "Considering the lack of students, shall I be saying something?" As Keiko went wide eyed, Tancho burst out into laughter. "I should get back to checking my mailbox. Don't take too long, it's getting late Keiko."

"Right," Keiko replied. "Good night Ms. Powell."

Catching onto the tune Natsuko had been humming, Keiko slid open the door to the student council room and began to work.

"Let's see… Where…"

Chik!

Jumping, she put her search for the stapler to the side to look up and see Mr. Iwamoto at the doorway, staring. "Mr. Iwamoto? Was there something else?"

"I told you…" Her eyes went wide at the saliva starting to run down his mouth. "…Go home… Study… STUDY!"

"What? But…"

Confused, Keiko stared as his arms began shaking. Was he ill?

She screamed and ducked as he violently grunted, shocked beyond belief as she hear the loud 'smash' of glass. Bolting, she ran out of the room and looked back inside from the safety of the hallway.

"Hahahahahaha! Students who don't listen to teachers should suffer! The deserve to die, Yukimura! DIE!"

A teacher just tried to punch her! And possibly kill her? Did he have no regard for his bleeding fist?

Worried for his wellbeing more than her own, Keiko ran down the hallways and out of the school, with her mind on calling for help. She looked back for a sign of the momentarily insane teacher. What came over him? His eyes were glassy…unfocused!

Directing her attention forward again, Keiko jolted to a stunned stop, seeing people similarly affected blocking the school entrance.

"Yuuukiii…muuuraaah!"

Now more worried on her wellbeing, Keiko screamed and ran into the school grounds. All those people…acting crazed! What's going on? Glancing back did her doom again as someone dragged her into the bushes, covering her mouth. The same girl she had seen on the roof with Yusuke before motioned for her to stay quiet and pulled out a compact mirror.

"It's Botan! I've got news! I'm at your school, I've got Keiko with me…and we're surrounded by bug-infested MANIACS!"

Confused beyond belief at the odd behavior of her teacher, now this girl showing up to drag her into bushes to talk to a mirror like it was Yusuke… "I don't get this," Keiko muttered weakly.

"They're clearly after Keiko…with MURDER on their minds!"

It was then he found them, Mr. Iwamoto with salvia dripping and glazed eyes focused on her and Botan behind the bush. "OH NO!"

Not really focusing on what was said, Keiko pushed the other out of the way, the compact was smashed, and the two ran for it. Yelling and running at each other, somehow Botan and her made it inside to use the phone a student normally had to ask permission to use. It was dead, but then she made the suggestion of the teacher's lounge, yet another forbidden place in normal times. To her and Botan's dismay, there was no help there either.

Running away again, found them backed at the end of the hallway, surrounded. Keiko swallowed, thinking there was not a chance for her at this point with these…zombies. However…

"They're after ME, aren't they? Run, Botan! I'll lead them away."

"Not a chance. I'll go down swinging before I'll run from these creeps."

Same for herself, Keiko thought as she remembered all the times of not putting up with Yusuke's crap. Good to know another one was out there not willing to put up with creep moves too. It figured she would find out now that she liked this girl Yusuke had tried hiding from her.

"Yeah? That's just what I planned to do."

"Then it's you and me, kid."

Curiously, Keiko spotted the fire extinguisher, close enough to feel Botan move to look in the same direction.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?"

Keiko nodded. "I'll distract them."

"Check."

Attacking, Keiko ran after Botan, each racing around the distracted group of zombies. She wasn't sure what else to call them, but zombies seemed to fit, causing Keiko to remember guys in the classroom arguing on how best to defeat zombies…

"Botan!"

Without thinking, Keiko slapped with all her might at the on strangling Botan.

"Oh, god… I hit a teacher!"

Stunned at what her hand just did, Keiko missed the thumbs up from her partner in crime. Getting past her shock, the pair managed to run off and into a room. She held the cut on her shoulder carefully, as she and Botan hid, watching the door they had stuffed her scarf. Not long after they sent the surprise attack…

She felt like stunning herself some more with a few swear words as they got cornered again, Botan unconscious, and a whole circle cutting them off from anymore smart schemes.

"Botan!"

"So you tried to OUTWIT us? Clever, but not clever enough! There are DOZENS of us WAITING OUTSIDE!"

"Botan! Hang on!"

"Heh heh heh."

"Hee hee hee."

"Hee hee hee."

"This is IT Yukimura."

She clenched her eyes shut, holding Botan close, fighting back the tears as she avoided looking at the knives and blunt instruments around them. The other girl had seemed so sure Yusuke could do something about it, but how…

"**DIE!**"

"NOOO! YUSUKE! HEEEELP!"

"Spirit gun!"

A warmth surrounded Keiko and she cautiously peered her eyes open to see a bright blue light. The light hit the zombie teacher, chucking him forward onto the ground. The knife clattered to the ground.

She whipped her head around to see who had done it, as did all the other zombies surrounding her.

Squinting, she saw the shape following after the light, blinking as she realized it was Yusuke punching and kicking his way through the mob. He screamed, punched and kept running to the middle of group.

Then he was standing next to Botan and her.

"Yusuke…"

Bending down, he drew his arm inwards and then bellowed. "Shot gun!"

The whole mass of people affected with the salivating glands in overdrive and glazed eyes were punched back by the light. Keiko gapped.

Yusuke grinned and glanced down at her.

He winked.

She blinked at him.

"Cho's little secret. Not a word."

Then he vanished. Keiko went bug eyed. "Tancho? Ms. Powell?"

The junior high girl glanced around the mass of unconscious people, up the hallway, and then back to Botan. Carefully, she stood up with Botan and made for the nurse's office. Digging around the cabinets, she found the wraps to use on her head wound, then followed up with her own wound on her shoulder.

Yusuke had some explaining to do about all of this. Botan, the zombies, the compact mirror, Tancho, the bright blue light from his fingers…everything.

* * *

><p><em>Thanks to KuramaMustangElric, Otaku-neku, starchilds, OhhTaylorJade, and Crowquet (times two).<em>

Silverwing013: This has much of the manga in it, the dialogue and all, but this went back to a question of mine. Just because the leader of the Spirit Beasts was finished, did it necessarily mean Keiko and Botan were automatically safe? The insects just went 'poof' or something, the pair safe just because? I am willing to bet those insects fought to stay in control of their human as long as possible. And hey, you all get to see how far Kimberly has progressed in her training. She may not be a fighter, but she can always imagine someone else fighting for her. ;)


	34. Whine Like A Child, Do I Have To?

**Tuned In**

_"There are hundreds of different radio waves being broadcast all around you from distant stations. At any given instant, your office or car or living room is full of these radio waves. However if you turn on a radio, you can listen to only one frequency at a time; these other frequencies are not in phase with each other. Each station has a different frequency, a different energy. As a result, your radio can only be turned to one broadcast at a time. Likewise, in our universe we are tuned into the frequency that corresponds to physical reality. But there are an infinite number of parallel realities coexisting with us in the same room, although we cannot tune into them."_  
><em>Professor Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize in Physics (1979)<em>

_"However, what if we could tune into a parallel reality? What if?"_  
><em>Silverwing013, author on fanfiction (2011)<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Written Monday, October 1, 1990 of this world<strong>

So… I kind of figured out a couple weeks ago the flute controlled demonic bugs inside human zombies…didn't really just disappear like I thought when Yusuke defeated the leader of the Saint Beasts, Suzaku. (Sazuku, Suzuka…I think Suzaku is right) I meddled after Keiko called for help, who then told Botan about my involvement once Yusuke was awake to answer her questions.

I blame Yusuke, yep, completely.

Yet he seemed to be more pissed at me for making a double of him without him around, now pestering me to 'double' him on the days he attends school.

Wow, how did I guess from when he first asked at Master Genkai's all those months ago? (Can you hear my sarcasm?)

Although no one yelled at me for doing this waaay early…like my brother and I yell at mom for doing so… I messed around on my own (which I was punished for by major rock climbing, I shudder at Master Genkai's amusement) and made not something or someone show up, but music surrounding me. Lord, very hard to picture music, but so worth it to hear "Jingle Bell Rock".

I tried to picture a radio or boom box, but they only wound up playing stations and music from here oddly enough. I cannot imagine the people behind the songs, at least, not for all of them, so it became a matter of my zoning out not to picture an object and movement, but hearing the sound. And then it just…is.

I went nuts.

So did Megumi. Haruka was laughing harder than I was at Megumi's enthusiasm to listen to as many as she could, picking up her own voice by the second chorus. Shigeru yammered happily along with his sister.

Can't I just stay in those happy times and ignore the story I know going on around me?

Yusuke versus Toguro, with me on no clue how it winds up, well, mostly. The first part of the Dark Tournament I know, but not the end. I worry for him and Kazuma and Keiko. I worry for Kurama…but more so for Shiori. She has already come unknowingly close to losing her son. And Atsuko, Yusuke's mother.

Koenma is very much pressuring me for answers he knows I have now that the time has come, he fully realizing why I said Yusuke was the main character now. As a bonus, he's not very pleased with my hand sneaking into their lives. Which I didn't do anything harmful, Keiko is supposed to be alive and well. Ditto on his assistant Botan.

It's not as though I can give him much, besides my continued promise to keep the shiny bracelet on my wrist. At least I know what it does now. I can't be tracked in this world, or any of the three by him, since I am not of this realm.

I'm very much worried at this point.

It becomes starkingly real when Master Genkai handed me two sets of tickets, Kazushi to be invited by proxy to keep an eye on me when she cannot because of Yusuke. Off to the side was Yukina. So much closer to what I have known for so long to happen, step by step, but without knowing how he fairs.

At least I know my books. Who sets up a main character, the hero, for failure?

He's so young and Yusuke has come very close. Losing Keiko in a fire, if not for that small catch; a fluke to defeat two of the three thieves from Spirit World, the third willing to give up without a fight; only being able to win against Rando by _**collapsing**_ on the guy; and not being killed by Toguro in the first place do to some agenda…

It's nerve racking on this side of the book… Lord, I have a tear rolling down my cheek.

I don't want to be there.

But I have to be.

* * *

><p><em>Thanks to yyh-ygo-fma (you changed your name, nice), OhhTaylorJade, and starchilds.<strong><br>**_


	35. Come On Ride the Train

**Tuned In**

_"There are hundreds of different radio waves being broadcast all around you from distant stations. At any given instant, your office or car or living room is full of these radio waves. However if you turn on a radio, you can listen to only one frequency at a time; these other frequencies are not in phase with each other. Each station has a different frequency, a different energy. As a result, your radio can only be turned to one broadcast at a time. Likewise, in our universe we are tuned into the frequency that corresponds to physical reality. But there are an infinite number of parallel realities coexisting with us in the same room, although we cannot tune into them."_  
><em>Professor Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize in Physics (1979)<em>

_"However, what if we could tune into a parallel reality? What if?"_  
><em>Silverwing013, author on fanfiction (2011)<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Written Wednesday, October 17, 1990 of this world<strong>

Train, train, train.

I'm no fighter but I can make one…unless Master Genkai keeps sending Yukina to get around and attack me. Make a fighter to defend myself against Master Genkai, keeping my half zoned out and half concentration on the real world focus…this is really hard! If I know what the response is, I can imagine a fighter to do so and then vanish. That's easy. I don't even have to keep the half and half focus to respond to things I did not expect. Master Genkai keeps pulling new tricks and orders to mess me up.

I thought I had a handle on it until this morning when Yukina walked up behind me, froze my foot, gaining all my concentration on the real world, my fighter against Master Genkai disappeared, and she knocked me down in the middle of Yukina's apology!

Talk about a new trick! Gah!

At least she claims this is helping her keep up on her skills. I know she'll need it.

I just don't get the new focus on mine. And I wonder…is it about the worry I brought up to Kazushi a while back? On…what if all this going on around me…becoming part of the story…this realm…what if… What if it was all me…making things just show up?

To relate to another story, others like it as well… Like in Inception, the depths of dreams being questioned on which is correct since the properly placed dream can affect real life…or is it real life is the dream since it is so influenced by the times of rest? It is a question so asked by quite a few story tellers on the "what if it never was real" and it scarily fits.

I think I just built a new found fear on if I ever get back home or to another realm. Heck, even world hopping in this place. To Spirit World to Human World. Well, Demon World, no fears. I have no plans of visitation anytime soon.

Erm…shit. I hope my spirit egg doesn't have any plans for me there.

* * *

><p><em>Thanks to yyh-ygo-fma, OhhTaylorJade, and starchilds.<em>


	36. With: Yukina

**Tuned In**

_"There are hundreds of different radio waves being broadcast all around you from distant stations. At any given instant, your office or car or living room is full of these radio waves. However if you turn on a radio, you can listen to only one frequency at a time; these other frequencies are not in phase with each other. Each station has a different frequency, a different energy. As a result, your radio can only be turned to one broadcast at a time. Likewise, in our universe we are tuned into the frequency that corresponds to physical reality. But there are an infinite number of parallel realities coexisting with us in the same room, although we cannot tune into them."_  
><em>Professor Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize in Physics (1979)<em>

_"However, what if we could tune into a parallel reality? What if?"_  
><em>Silverwing013, author on fanfiction (2011)<em>

* * *

><p>This task she was settled with was becoming harder to pull off, which could be considered good, Yukina considered to herself as she crept up behind a head of blonde tainted hair. While the few humans she met had not seemed to keep to the conventional hair color she expected, this coloring was very…unhumanlike in her mind. Master Genkai and Kazuma both had tinges of unexpected color. This girl had tinges of <em>expected<em> hair color; even then it was a lighter brown than she had seen on most humans. Dark brown to black was most hair color, unless aging to greys.

She twitched her head a bit, focusing back to sneaking up behind the girl. While the other girl had first relied on one fighter, she was now creating multiples, one to strike out and then as Master Genkai defeated them, swiftly made another out of Master Genkai's sight, keeping the aging human away. Yukina felt a bit baffled on how multiples were easier to the girl than one fighter, but it was not her power to control. It seemed to be based on how the girl needed to have a duel focus on reality and images in her mind, short bursts compared to longer and complicated fights worked better for the girl to keep Master Genkai away.

It also made her job harder. The girl had a better grasp of the world around her using this method.

Slowly, she built a shield of ice, blessing the cold tang of morning air. She turned her gaze upwards, creating icicles above the demonically haired girl…

Startled, Yukina blinked up at the girl. The boyish grin of Yusuke looking down at her shattered ice shield, he disappeared, but then her icicles dropped from above.

She hid her mouth behind her hand as the girl let out a yip, shaking her arm.

Master Genkai defeated the other fighter of the girl's mindful creation, dashing forward to poke her in the shoulder.

"Double ouch on the nonfighter," came the lighthearted grumble.

"Poor you," Master Genkai said with no compassion. "You still need to get the basics of fighting for yourself Kimberly."

The girl's oddly tanned, but pale cheeks flushed. She stood, wiping off her long shorts and then shot her look at the older human. "I'm not a fighter. Look at my progress, or lack of. I never had enough muscle memory to do well at any specific sports move, but at least I can run. Athletic, but useless…harsh but true words the physical education teacher told me."

Master Genkai raised an eyebrow and the girl sighed, smiling a bit.

"Do it anyway, I got it and will, but I'm just saying…"

She rolled her eyes at the younger girl, huffing as the girl took up a familiar posture. One arm across the arch of her back, hand wrapped about the elbow of her other arm hanging loosely. Practically placing both hands behind her back, leaving herself very open.

Yukina smiled, knowing Master Genkai could not stand the position. Several attempts to correct the posture had backfired. Kimberly would block either Master Genkai or Yukina making a move to correct it. It was something small and silly, but Yukina liked how the other casually stopped all corrections and did not understand explanations enough to change.

Master Genkai huffed loudly, looking away. "Just get going and do it. Yukina, watch her."

"Yes Master Genkai."

Finished with the paces of self-defense moves, Kimberly gave Yukina a light wave as she turned inside the doorway. She took a deep breath, gazing around the area, birds chirping lightly, enjoying the early morning noise. It took a moment before she noticed someone near the edge, standing between temple grounds and the forest. He always seemed so hesitant to get close, as though shy of the temple.

"Hello Hiei," she greeted as she picked up the nearby broom. "You're here early."

He had been there for a while too, again, since the birds had not told her of his presence.

"How has training with Kurama and Kazuma been going? I'm afraid you're too early, if it was Yusuke you wanted to see."

He shrugged a black shoulder, gazing toward the inside of the temple.

"Oh, were you curious about her?"

It was a slight flicker back and nod that confirmed Yukina's guess. "She'll be back out after she gets ready to go. She is here nearly every morning before her job. A sort of teacher's aid she calls it." Seeing his shoulders slid down a bit, she moved back to her job of sweeping up. "Well, if you want, there is food inside."

Yukina glanced up to see a tilt of his head in reply before he leaned against the outer wall next to the doorway. She swept through melted ice and frowned. Hiei cracked open an eye to see her go inside for a mop.

"Wait."

Curious at him speaking up, she paused to look back. He stepped lightly toward the water, crouching over it with a palm spread, steam appearing. Hiei glanced back at her, head tilted in question.

"Thank you very much Hiei." She stepped beside him, glancing down to see if all the water was gone. "I would have had to wait for it to dry before finishing the sweeping."

"That is kind of him." A new voice caused Hiei to fully stand. "I hadn't realized it was such a trouble for you Yukina. I could have helped."

"Oh, it is no trouble," she assured Kimberly. "It's the little things I enjoy doing myself around the temple for Master Genkai. Oh!"

Her hands flew up to her mouth and she turned back to Hiei, eyeing Kimberly curiously. He put his attention back on Yukina at the action. "I really did appreciate the welcoming hand Hiei." He shrugged.

Seeing his eyes fall back toward the other girl, Yukina sought to relieve Hiei of his concern on Kimberly being there. "Oh, yes, you were wondering earlier, this—"

"Is Hiei," Kimberly finished, mistakenly believing he was being introduced to her. "Yes, I've heard about you from Master Genkai and Yukina."

Yukina blinked with Hiei at the hand Kimberly offered out, before it was retracted with a laugh.

"Wrong custom, I haven't done that in a while… Sorry Hiei. People shake hands when first introduced where I grew up." Kimberly grinned at him. "Strike number two from trying to shake your hand, sorry."

"What…what was the first strike?"

Yukina shrugged at Hiei's question; wondering if Kimberly's strike was different from Kazuma's strike. He did have a love of the game called a sport here in Human World.

"Touching something that just steamed away water. Mental, that."

Yukina tittered at the idea and gazed up at Kimberly. "Not now. Is that why all the humans are so afraid of touching Hiei? Nothing happens to you when you touch me."

"Right, silly me," Kimberly laughed.

Hiei snorted. "I rather like that misconception and I'll not fix their stupidity on the matter. Humans can believe what they wish. It's not like I'm human anyway. Your shake of the hand did not insult me."

"Handshake," Kimberly corrected. Yukina wasn't sure what Hiei was being corrected on, since the only hand shake she knew of wasn't a good sign of health. She added it to her inner list of different ways Kimberly said things. Why would one want to make your hand shake upon first meeting? The turn of phrase must be another difference between humans living here and where Kimberly came from.

Yukina blinked as the foreign human girl stretched her hand out again, toward her.

"Like this. Reach out for my hand, don't be afraid to touch it." The girl wrapped her fingers about Yukina's hand. "We both grip, tightly enough that it doesn't break for when we go like this. Shake up and down too Yukina. And then we let go. A handshake."

Kimberly grinned. "Nice to meet you Yukina."

Yukina smiled back. "You too. But don't you need to leave soon?"

"And meet the bus before it leaves me behind and late? I better." The girl glanced back over at Hiei with a smile. "Pleased to meet you too. I'll be sure not to spill that it is safe to touch you after you heat up like that."

Hearing the unheard laughter, Yukina laughed with it. Hiei stood, staring at the other, seeming a bit confused. At the joke or someone making one in his expense, though, not much to his expense, she questioned his confusion silently.

Giving a small wave as she turned to jog away, Yukina turned toward Hiei.

"I'm sure she meant the humor Hiei. She does enjoy…'pulling one over' at times with Master Genkai and I. Same in her stories from where she works at Yusuke and Kazuma's school."

He turned, eyebrows going up at this.

"A sort of teacher's aid, like I said before. Yusuke griped when I asked him if she has done any pulling over on him and Master Genkai laughed most hard. Kazuma goes beat red."

Seeming to take it in for a moment, Hiei looked back to the strange girl disappearing down the stairs and flickered after her. Yukina blinked, watching curiously.

He stuck out his hand. Kimberly grinned down at him, reaching out her own hand to shake his. Then the girl continued on her way down the stairs, Hiei watching her for a moment before returning.

"What was that Hiei?"

He shrugged a black shoulder.

"She cannot sense spiritual energy either?"

Yukina felt her eyebrows go up in surprise. "I suppose I never thought of that. No. Not demon or spirit energy. She can use spirit energy at least though, if you saw her mental projection of Yusuke giving Master Genkai a spirit gun earlier."

"I didn't," his voice went deep. Yukina frowned at the tone.

"It is worrisome, however, she is not a fighter. She only trains like this on behalf of Master Genkai."

Hiei frowned and she caught the unvoiced question.

"I cannot say why…"

"Because a past student of mine asked a favor of me and I have to keep these old bones nimble," Master Genkai interrupted in snarky tones. "She may appear strange and have grown up far away, but she still is human. Understand Hiei?"

He gazed evenly back. "All humans are strange. I trust you do well to watch who visits this temple."

The master raised her eyebrow. "Then get on with it. Your visit?"

Curious at the reason behind his early visit, Yukina looked back to Hiei.

"Incentive," he stated dryly. Careful, he drew a sleeping cat from one of his pockets. Yukina perked up at seeing the young cat and he held it before her. Cupping her hands, she took the sleeping creature. "Hold the cat hostage for a bit."

With that, he nodded at both her and Master Genkai before flickering off.

"So the surly scruff catnapped that boy's prized possession." Master Genkai snorted. "Could work."

"Kazuma does love Eikichi," Yukina agreed.

* * *

><p><em>Thanks to yyh-ygo-fma and starchilds.<br>_


	37. Calm Before the Storm

**Tuned In**

_"There are hundreds of different radio waves being broadcast all around you from distant stations. At any given instant, your office or car or living room is full of these radio waves. However if you turn on a radio, you can listen to only one frequency at a time; these other frequencies are not in phase with each other. Each station has a different frequency, a different energy. As a result, your radio can only be turned to one broadcast at a time. Likewise, in our universe we are tuned into the frequency that corresponds to physical reality. But there are an infinite number of parallel realities coexisting with us in the same room, although we cannot tune into them."_  
><em>Professor Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize in Physics (1979)<em>

_"However, what if we could tune into a parallel reality? What if?"_  
><em>Silverwing013, author on fanfiction (2011)<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Written Wednesday, December 12, 1990 of this world<strong>

Beginning of break today. There was school, but most after school activities choose not to convene due to tomorrow being the first day of winter break. Lucky that. Or not.

Kazushi and I had our things packed and ready to go for the end of the school day. I got a lecture on following his word when it was 'time to go' as decided by him, that he had a device that would let us leave anytime we wished. Well, even if he is still working on the radio station for my reality, he has the goods on traveling in and between worlds here.

As another bonus on keeping us safe, Master Genkai had me practicing on shields the last few weeks. I really doubt it took her that long to notice my lack of fighter ability, but at least I have some defensive and offensive maneuvers I can imagine against an energy attack.

An attack would be really weird here though. Here as in huge ritzy hotel here. Room 504. The only attack I would expect would be in the rowdy people rooming below us.

School. Boat. Ritzy hotel. Nice room, rowdy neighbors down below.

Not a lot to really mention, but I brought my journal since it won't stay this dull for long.

I wonder if I can cajole Kazushi into letting me out for my nightly run. Perhaps if I ran in circles within his sight. It's the least I can do physically that I'm proud of. One of the top cross country runners in my conference, I'm sure I can run from most attackers. That's just it, most attackers. Who knows what the average speed of a demon is? Mostly…I just need to get out.

Nothing going on is bothering me.

I'm stressed out about what is to come, knowing some of what is to come, not knowing the outcome and wanting to know—speed up time to find out and stop it so it doesn't.

Nothing is infuriating

* * *

><p><em>Thanks to Otaku-neku, yyh-ygo-fma, and starchilds.<em>  
>(AN: For our manga readers, can anyone catch onto the room number, thus the one below?)<p> 


End file.
